The anatomy of the Pepper - For most of us, when we delve into dishes with our cajun (or other ethnic heritage behind us), we think of it as adding the spice of our lives to our creations to make them uniquely our own. However, there are some that may not yet have their pick-a-pack-o-peppers so to speak, so this post is specifically for those that have their favorites and for those who may have been a bit timid to try new flavors – defined below are the fabulous tastes that add that special “heat”, “sweet” or “spice” to your favorite dishes, all measured out by the famous “Scoville Heat Index”! Bell Peppers: Bell Peppers, which can be red, yellow, green or orange, arent hot peppers. They are very common sweet peppers. Since this type of pepper has no heat, its Scoville Heat Index is zero. You can cook bell peppers in a variety of different ways; however, dont expect this type of pepper to add spice to your food. Cherry Pepper: Also known as pimento peppers, cherry peppers are heart-shaped and are about four inches long and three inches wide. These peppers are actually very mild, scoring about a 500 on the Scoville Heat Index. Cherry peppers are perhaps best known to be the red filling that can typically be found inside of olives. Anaheim Pepper: This pepper is usually maroon in color and has a long, skinny body. While the Anaheim pepper usually has a Scoville Heat Index around 1,000, some varieties can have a rating as high as 5,000. Relative to the rest of this list, this pepper is not very hot. Poblano Pepper: The poblano is a mild chili pepper originating in the state of Puebla, Mexico. Dried, it is called a chile ancho (wide chile). The ripened red poblano is significantly hotter and more flavorful than the less ripe, green poblano. While poblanos tend to have a mild flavor, occasionally and unpredictably, they can have significant heat. Different peppers from the same plant have been reported to vary substantially in heat intensity. A closely related variety is the mulato, which is darker in color, sweeter in flavor and softer in texture. One of the most popular peppers grown in Mexico, the bush (of the species Capsicum annuum) is multi-stemmed and can reach 25 inches (0.64 m) in height. The fruit is 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15 cm) long and 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm) wide. An immature poblano is dark purplish green in color, but the mature fruits eventually turn a red so dark as to be nearly black. Poblanos grow in zones 10–12 and do best with a soil pH between 7.0 and 8.5. Poblanos typically prefer full sunlight and may require additional support for the growing fruits during harvest in late summer. A poblano takes around 200 days from seed to harvest and requires soil temperatures of at least 64 °F (18 °C) to germinate. Preparation methods include: dried, coated in whipped egg (capeado) and fried, stuffed, or in mole sauces. It is particularly popular during the Mexican independence festivities as part of a dish called chiles en nogada, which incorporates green, white and red ingredients corresponding to the colors of the Mexican flag. This may be considered one of Mexicos most symbolic dishes by its nationals. It is also usually used in the widely found dish chile relleno. Poblanos are popular in the United States and can be found in grocery stores in the states bordering Mexico and in urban areas. After being roasted and peeled (which improves the texture by removing the waxy skin), poblano peppers are preserved by either canning or freezing. Storing them in airtight containers keeps them for several months. When dried, the poblano becomes a broad, flat, heart-shaped pod called an ancho chile (meaning wide in Spanish); from this form, it is often ground into a powder used as flavoring in various dishes. Poblano is also the word for an inhabitant of Puebla, and mole poblano refers to the spicy chocolate chili sauce originating in Puebla. Rocotillo Pepper: A Rocotillo pepper (Capsicum baccatum) is a type of chile pepper that originated in Peru. Unripe rocotillos are green or yellow, but the color at maturity varies. Common colors are red, orange or brown. Rocotillos are almost spherical in shape, and can be dried easily. They are generally an inch long (2.5cm) and around an inch (2.5cm) wide. Most rocotillos rate between 1,500 and 2,500 Scoville units. Jalapeno Pepper: The jalapeño is one of the most common types of peppers in the U.S. Many people like it because its spicy yet not overwhelming. Jalapeños are usually either red or green and about two to three inches long. Their Scoville Heat Index is around 5,000, however they can range anywhere from 2,000 to 8,000. When used sparingly, they add just the right amount of spicy flavor to most Mexican dishes. Many people also deep fry jalapenos with cheese for a tasty appetizer. Espelette Pepper: The Espelette pepper (French: Piment dEspelette French pronunciation: [pi.mɑ̃ dɛs.pə.lɛt] ; Basque: Ezpeletako biperra) is a variety of chili pepper that is cultivated in the French commune of Espelette, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, traditionally the northern territory of the Basque people. On 1 June 2000, it was classified as an AOC product and was confirmed as an APO product on 22 August 2002. The plant, originally from Mexico and to a lesser extent South America, was introduced into France from the New World during the 16th century. After first being used medicinally, it subsequently became popular for preparing condiments and for the conservation of meat and ham. It is now a cornerstone of Basque cuisine, where it has gradually replaced black pepper and it is a key ingredient in piperade. AOC espelette peppers are cultivated in the following communes: Ainhoa, Cambo-les-Bains, Espelette, Halsou, Itxassou, Jatxou, Larressore, Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, Souraïde, and Ustaritz. It is harvested in late summer and, in September, characteristic festoons of pepper are hung on balconies and house walls throughout the communes to dry out. An annual pepper festival, attracting some 20,000 tourists is held in October. This pepper attains only a grade of 4,000 on the Scoville scale and therefore can be considered not hot. It can be purchased as festoons of fresh or dried peppers, as ground pepper, or puréed or pickled in jars. Hungarian Wax Pepper: The Hungarian wax pepper is a medium variety of Capsicum annuum with a wide Scoville Scale range of 1,000 to 15,000 Scoville units. Serrano Pepper: The Serrano pepper is similar to the jalapeño in its look, but this pepper is much hotter. On the Scoville Heat Index, the Serrano Pepper can be between 10,000 and 25,000. This pepper is usually small (around two inches) and green in color. As a general rule of thumb, the smaller the Serrano pepper, the hotter it will taste. Cayenne Pepper: The Cayenne pepper is another hot pepper (between 25,000 and 50,000 on the Scoville Heat Index) that is popular with those looking to add heat to food. Red in color, the Cayenne pepper is generally dried and used in powder form. Additionally, this pepper has been used in natural medicines for hundreds of years due to reported healing attributes. Tabasco Pepper: As you may have guessed, the Tabasco pepper is used to make Tabasco sauce. If youve ever tasted how hot Tabasco sauce is, you wont be surprised to learn that the Tabasco pepper has a Scoville Heat Index of between 30,000 and 60,000. The actual pepper is less than two inches long and can be green, red, yellow or orange in color. Thai Pepper: Grown in Thailand and neighboring countries, the Thai pepper (Bird’s Eye Chili) is a type of pepper that can be classified as very hot. With a Scoville Heat Index of between 50,000 and 100,000, these peppers are sure to leave your taste buds wanting relief. The Thai pepper is one of the smallest peppers, measuring in at less than an inch. Its used in many spicy Thai dishes at restaurants in the U.S. Byadigi Chili: is a famous variety of chilli mainly grown in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is named after the town of Byadagi which is located in the Haveri district of Karnataka. The business involving Byadagi chillis has the second largest turnover among all chilli varieties of India. An oil, oleoresin extracted from these chillies is used in the preparation of nail polish and lipsticks. Byadagi chilli is also known for its deep red colour and is less spicy and is used in many food preparations of South India. They are also known as kaddi (meaning stick-like) chillies. Byadagi chilli has been accorded Geographical Indication (GI) in February 2011. Its GI tag is 144. Malagueta Pepper: is a type of chilli used in Brazil, Portugal and Mozambique. It is heavily used in the Bahia state of Brazil. It apparently gets its name from the unrelated melegueta pepper from West Africa (Zingiberaceae). It is a small, tapered, green pepper that turns red as it matures at about 5 cm (2 inches) in length. It has a range of 60,000 to 100,000 Scoville units.. Two sizes are seen in markets, which will sometimes have different names: the smaller ones are called malaguetinha in Brazil and piri piri in Portugal and Mozambique, and the larger ones are called malagueta in Brazil and Portugal. They are not different varieties, just peppers of different maturities from the same plant. This pepper is used to season many regional dishes and sauces in Brazil and Mozambique. In Portugal, it is mainly used to season poultry dishes. The malagueta chile (spelled mala), used in Brazilian cooking, is often confused with melegueta pepper (spelled mele), also known as grains of paradise, a cardamom-like West African spice, Aframomum melegueta, from the Zingiberaceae (ginger) family. Botanical and culinary writers have made the error of referring to the chilli as the African spice, thinking it to be one and the same. Piri Piri (African Bird’s Eye): also called African birds eye chili, is a cultivar of Capsicum frutescens, one of the sources of chili pepper, that grows both wild and domesticated. It is a small member of the Capsicum genus. It grows in Malawi, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and the tropical forests of South Sudan & the southern half of Ethiopia. It was brought to Goa by the Portuguese and the plant subsequently adapted to the hot climate. Penguin Pepper: Pequin (or Piquin) pepper (pronunciation: pee/puh-KEEN) is a hot chile pepper cultivar commonly used as a spice. Taxonomically, it is classified within variety glabriusculum of the species Capsicum annuum. Pequin has a compact habit growing typically 0.3–0.6 meters tall, with bright green, ovate leaves and small fruits that rarely exceed 2 cm in length. Like most chiles, fruits start out green, ripening to brilliant red at maturity. Pequin peppers are very hot, often 13–40 times hotter than jalapeños on the Scoville scale (100,000–140,000 units). Flavor is described as citrusy, smoky (if dried with wood smoke), and nutty. Common uses include pickling, salsas and sauces, soups, and vinegars. The popular Cholula brand hot sauce lists piquin peppers and arbol peppers among its ingredients. Rocoto Pepper: While Rocoto peppers look somewhat like bell peppers, it can be dangerous to get the two mixed up. While bell peppers arent hot at all, the Rocoto pepper is extremely hot. Between 100,000 and 250,000 on the Scoville Heat Index, this pepper is about the size of a bell pepper but is rounder and is typically only red or green. Some people use this pepper to make very spicy sauces. Habanero Chili Pepper: Of hot peppers that are commonly used, the Habanero chili is recognized as the hottest. This pepper, which can be any color from green to yellow to pink, is usually only around three centimeters in length. However, do not let the small size fool you – the Habanero chili can pack a punch! The Scoville Heat Index for the Habanero chili can range from 150,000 to 350,000. Scotch Bonnett: Scotch Bonnet, also known as Boabs Bonnet, Scotty Bons, Bonney peppers, or Caribbean red peppers (Latin: Capsicum chinense) is a variety of chili pepper. Found mainly in the Caribbean islands, it is also in Guyana (where it is called Ball of Fire), the Maldives Islands and West Africa. It is named for its resemblance to a Tam oshanter hat. Most Scotch Bonnets have a heat rating of 100,000–350,000 Scoville Units. For comparison, most jalapeño peppers have a heat rating of 2,500 to 8,000 on the Scoville scale. These peppers are used to flavour many different dishes and cuisines worldwide and are often used in hot sauces and condiments. The Scotch bonnet has a sweeter flavour and stouter shape, distinct from its habanero cousin with which it is often confused, and gives jerk dishes (pork/chicken) and other Caribbean dishes their unique flavour. Scotch bonnets are mostly used in West African, Grenadian, Trinidadian, Jamaican, Barbadian, Guyanese, Surinamese, Haitian and Caymanian cuisine and pepper sauces, though they often show up in other Caribbean recipes. Fresh scotch bonnets change from green to yellow as they ripen. Typically red peppers are NOT Scots Bonnets but another variety, Jamaica Hots with a different more ovoid shape closer to a habanero. Datil Pepper: The Datil is an exceptionally hot pepper, a variety of the species Capsicum chinense (syn. Capsicum sinense). Datils are similar in strength to habaneros but have a sweeter, fruitier flavor. Their level of spiciness may be anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000 scoville units. Mature peppers are about 3.5 inches long and yellow-orange in color. Datil peppers are cultivated throughout the United States and elsewhere, but the majority are produced in St. Augustine, Florida. Although local lore suggests datils were brought to St. Augustine by indentured workers from Minorca in the late 18th century, it is more likely they were brought from Chile around 1880 by a jelly maker named S. B. Valls. As of late there has been some controversy over whether or not the true origin was resultant of the slave trade in St Augustine. The pepper is almost identical to a west African pepper called the Fatalii or fatal. The similarities in size, shape, color, heat and flavor as well as the similarity of the names makes this an issue that deserves more investigation. Datil peppers are used by the Minorcan community in many recipes. There are many commercial manufacturers of datil pepper products in St. Augustine, and there is an annual Datil Pepper Festival. Madame Jeanette: Madame Jeanette (Capsicum chinense) is a chili pepper originally from Suriname. The fruits are shaped like small bell peppers but with Habanero-like heat. The peppers ripen to reddish-yellow but they are larger and not symmetrical. It may be related to the Suriname Red (as this pepper is also known as Suriname Yellow). Often this pepper is mixed up with the yellow Adjuma, which is less elongated and said to have more heat and less aroma.The plant is very prolific. It grows fairly small and dislikes cool sites. It will grow indoors. Fatali: The Fatalii is a chili pepper of Capsicum chinense that originates in central and southern Africa. It is described to have a fruity, citrus flavor with a searing heat that is comparable to the standard habanero. The Scoville Food Institute lists the Fatalii as the seventh hottest pepper, ranging 125,000–400,000 Scoville units. Red Savian Habenero: The Red Savina pepper is a cultivar of the habanero chili (Capsicum chinense Jacquin), which has been selectively bred to produce hotter, heavier, and larger fruit.Frank Garcia of GNS Spices, in Walnut, California, is credited with being the developer of the Red Savina habanero. The exact method Garcia used to select the hottest strains is not publicly known. The Red Savina is protected by the U.S. Plant Variety Protection Act (PVP #9200255). In February 2007, the Red Savina chili was displaced in Guinness World Records as the hottest chili in the world by the Naga Jolokia pepper. The Red Savina held the record from 1994 until 2006. Red Savina peppers were reported to a score up to 577,000 on the Scoville scale, but this oft-quoted figure was never verified; a comparison experiment carried out by a group of researchers including Regents Professor Paul W. Bosland at the Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University in 2005 revealed an average heat level of about 450,000 Scoville Heat Units for Red Savina habaneros. Orange Habaneros may get as hot as 350,000 Scoville Heat Units, but the average Orange Habanero is around 200,000 Scoville Heat Units. The average Bhut Jolokia pepper is 1,019,687 SHUs. Naga Viper Pepper: The Naga Viper pepper was the official holder of the Guinness World Records Worlds Hottest Chilli record as of 25 February 2011. The Naga Viper pepper, with its rating of 1,382,118 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), beat the previous record holder, the Infinity Chilli. This record has since been exceeded by the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion. In comparison, a jalapeño pepper measures between 2,500 and 8,000 SHU on the same scale. Infinity Chili: The Infinity Chili pepper is a chili pepper created in England by chili breeder Nick Woods of Fire Foods, Grantham, Lincolnshire. For two weeks in February 2011, the Infinity Chili held the Guinness World Record title for the worlds hottest chili with a Scoville scale rating of 1,067,286 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). On February 25, 2011, it was displaced by the Naga Viper pepper, which registered 1,382,118 SHU. Bhut Jolokia Chili Pepper: The Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia) (Assamese: ভূত জলকিয়া) , also known as Bhut Jolokia, ghost pepper, ghost chili pepper, red naga chilli, and ghost chilli is an interspecific hybrid cultivated in the Indian states of Nagaland and Assam. It grows in the Indian states of Assam, Nagaland and Manipur. There was initially some confusion and disagreement about whether the Bhut was a Capsicum frutescens or a Capsicum chinense pepper, but DNA tests showed it to be an interspecies hybrid, mostly C. chinense with some C. frutescens genes. In 2007, Guinness World Records certified that the Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia) was the worlds hottest chili pepper, 400 times hotter than Tabasco sauce; however, in 2011 it was superseded by the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T pepper. Trinidad Scorpion Butch T. Pepper: Butch T Scorpion pepper is a chili pepper that was formerly the most piquant pepper. It has been since replaced by the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion as the worlds hottest pepper, from Trinidad and Tobago. The pepper is a Capsicum chinense cultivar, derived from the Trinidad Scorpion, which is indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago. It is named after Butch Taylor, the owner of Zydeco farms in Woodville/Crosby Mississippi & hot sauce company who is responsible for propagating the peppers seeds. The scorpion peppers are referred to as such because the pointed end of the pepper is said to resemble a scorpions stinger. Trinidad Moruga Scorpion (Pepper Spray): The Trinidad Scorpion Moruga Blend (Capsicum chinense), endemic to the district of Moruga in Trinidad and Tobago, is currently the worlds hottest Chili pepper cultivated. The New Mexico State Universitys Chilli Pepper Institute has identified the Trinidad Scorpion Moruga Blend as the newest hottest chili pepper as of February 2012.According to the Institute, the Trinidad Scorpion Moruga Blend ranks as high as 2,009,231 SHU on the Scoville scale, making it the hottest chili pepper in the world to date. Paul Bosland, a chili pepper expert and director of the Institute, said that, You take a bite. It doesnt seem so bad, and then it builds and it builds and it builds. So it is quite nasty.” The golf ball-sized chili pepper scored the highest among a handful of chili cultivars reputed to be among the hottest in the world. Its mean heat topped more than 1.2 million units on the Scoville heat scale, while fruits from an individual plant reached 2 million heat units. Aside from the heat, the Trinidad Scorpion Moruga Blend has a tender fruit-like flavor, which makes it a sweet-hot combination. The pepper can be grown from seeds in most parts of the world; in North America, the growing season is January–July.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 19:34:43 +0000
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