We love our chili peppers and the food to which they are added, but are we spelling the word correctly? You may see it spelled chili, chile, and sometimes even chilli, but which is correct?. Is chili the dish with meat and spices, or is it the term for the pepper. And is a chili the same as a pepper or is it just a chili. The answer for all can basically be yes.
Hear is Merriam Webster’s take on the chili, chile, chilli conundrum:
The difference between chili, chilli, and chile, is usually a matter of location. In American English, “chili” is the most common spelling for the spicy peppers as well as the stew and hotdog topping. In British English the preferred spelling is “chilli.” In Spanish speaking countries and regions of the US, “chile” is the most common variant.
Wikipedia uses chili pepper over the other two spellings, and since I am in the United States, I will stick with that as well. But if you want to call it a chile or chilli, that is up to you. Just be sure to enjoy them as often as possible.
And as an additional bit of trivia related to the spicy pods: chili peppers are considered a fruit because they contain seeds (a vegetable is the edible part of a plant that usually does not contain seeds). So chili peppers give you a tasty way to get some fruit in your diet!