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Are chilies a common ingredient in Italian cooking?

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By: Jim All content is licensed under CC BY-SA
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Q: Are chilies a common ingredient in Italian cooking?

I just read this article in CNN "Eating chilies cuts risk of death from heart attack and stroke, study says" and when I read this line:

Carried out in Italy, where chili is a common ingredient, the study compared the risk of death among 23,000 people, some of whom ate chili and some of whom didn't.

I've seen that some Italian dishes call for the addition of dried chili flakes, but a common ingredient? I'm married to a Malay - chili peppers are a common ingredient. It seems as common as salt.

Maybe I'm thinking of the wrong types of chili peppers. We always have a supply of Thai chilies around, but no pepperoncinis. So what have I missed in Italian cooking where chilies are a common ingredient?

Or is what we have here in America as Italian cooking just isn't the real deal?

Answer

I'd like to point out that the detail in your quote is "where chili is a common ingredient"

Using chilies often is not the same thing as always eating spicy food. Southern Italian cooking uses chilies often, but not necessarily to create very spicy food.

Some preparations (arrabiata, fra diavolo, etc) may be spicy, but many things can use chilies and not be hot and spicy--milder chilies, or smaller amounts can be used simply to create flavor, without heat.

I think it's fair to say that Italian cooking uses chilies often while also clarifying that Italian cooking uses significantly less chilies (volume wise) than some other cuisine known for being hot & spicy.