Literary notes about cayenne (AI summary)
In some literary texts, the term “cayenne” is employed less as a culinary ingredient than as a vivid descriptor of color—one that conveys passion, heat, and a bold, fiery red. For example, one author describes how the finest cayenne, derived from bird-peppers, when mixed with “yellow bonny” alters its hue to a paler, yet still distinct, tone, suggesting that its visual quality is as prized as its flavor [1]. In another instance, cayenne appears alongside hues like Burgundy and limes in a magical incantation, with its name evoking a color as dynamic and essential as these other storied shades [2]. Additionally, the term even finds its way into zoological nomenclature, as in the “Cayenne Lapwing,” where it hints at a characteristic brightness or intensity in the bird’s plumage [3].
- It is from the bird-pepper the best cayenne is produced; when mixed with the yellow bonny, the colour becomes paler, and is less esteemed.
— from Antigua and the Antiguans, Volume 2 (of 2) A full account of the colony and its inhabitants from the time of the Caribs to the present day by Mrs. Lanaghan - Cayenne and Burgundy and limes were ingredients, but there was a magic in the incantation with which he alone was acquainted.
— from The Young Duke by Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield - Cayenne Lapwing.
— from Argentine Ornithology, Volume 2 (of 2) A descriptive catalogue of the birds of the Argentine Republic. by Philip Lutley Sclater
