> wrote:

> Would a member of the Inner Circle (since surely, only the Enlightened
> know these things intuitively) please explain to me the difference
> between "chilli powder", "paprika", and "cayenne"?

Chilli powder, paprika and cayenne are all different and certainly
cannot be used interchangeably. Chilli (or chili) powder is a mixture
of some chile pepper and various other additions, such as cumin.
Paprika and cayenne are different capsicum species/cultivars. Moreover,
there are no fewer than seven different kinds of Hungarian paprika
alone.

> And yes, I've read the FAQ for this esteemed froup at faqs.org, but
> was unable to find this information.

The information can be found there, just indirectly. The FAQ contains a
link to Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages, probably the best and most
comprehensive collection of information on spices, whether on the Net or
elsewhere. See <http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/index.html>.

As to faqs.org, the site is dead and hasn't been updated since April
2004. Kent Landfield, its maintainer, has disappeared without a trace.
The domain is registered and paid for until 2012. The registrant is one
Lech Mazur and people have been unsuccessfully trying to e-mail and
otherwise contact him. The site needs to be either taken down or given
to someone who is both capable and willing to maintain it.

Victor