The chile pepper in China : a cultural biography / Brian R. Dott.

"China was introduced to the American chili pepper in the 16th century, and adoption of the foreign crop spread rapidly to fulfill regional needs. While the Chinese were initially unclear on how to incorporate the chili into their diets and how to compare it alongside their native plants (was it like the Sichuan pepper, ginger, eggplant, or black pepper?), the chili and its versatility became so essential to Chinese cuisine and pharmacopeia that it quickly became indigenized and was later used as an example for native plant identification. As the distinction between foreign and indigenous faded, the influence and popularity of the chili grew, redefining the term "spicy" and appearing in a wide variety of literary texts and art. The cultural symbolism surrounding the chili has even tied the pepper to Mao Zedong as revolutionary imagery, and it continues to be used in Chinese pop culture as a symbol of regional and national identity"-- Provided by publisher.