How to use chili pepper in cooking

With the terms chili (in Mexico and Central America), chili (in South America) or chilli (in Spain) refers to the varieties of hot pepper.

In Europe, red and green chillies are mainly known, but there are also yellow, orange, purple, brown and white chillies, and oblong, pointed or rounded shapes. Whether fresh or dried chiles, they always provide an incomparable spicy sensation.

The chili pepper is a close relative of the sweet pepper.

The degree of spiciness distinguishes the chilli from its mild brother, the sweet pepper. Like them, he belongs to gender Capsicum.

From a botanical point of view, chillies are fruits and berries, although culinary wise they are considered a condiment.

Chili pepper varieties, from cayenne to jalapeño to habanero

There is several thousand varieties of chillies all over the world; the exact number is unknown. Varieties can be assigned to different species, of which Capsicum annuum It is the most widespread; Capsicum annuum also includes many representatives of sweet peppers. These are the most famous varieties of chillies:

Cayenne: It is characterized by its pungent spiciness and slightly smoky, sometimes slightly scratchy aroma. The red fruits are dried and ground into powder. The so-called «cayenne pepper» has nothing to do with black or white pepper.
Jalapeño: It is very popular in Mexican cuisine. They are usually picked when they are still green and have a fairly mild flavor.
Habanero: There are many subvarieties, which generally have a shape similar to sweet pepper. Some are among the spiciest.
Serrano: Serrano pods are harvested green or red. They have a sweet aroma and are particularly juicy. In Mexican cuisine they are usually eaten raw.
Thai chili pepper: It is harvested green or red and is popular in Asian cuisine, where it is used to make, for example, curries.
Padrón Pepper: Padrón peppers come from Galicia. They are usually harvested green and can range from semi-elongated to almost rounded. They are fried in a pan and served sprinkled with sea salt.
Tabasco: This variety is mainly grown to make the sauce of the same name. The variety has a very aromatic flavor, it is fiery and spicy.
Anaheim: Its name comes from a city in California and both greens and reds are harvested. The pods are often stuffed with cream cheese or grilled. They have a fairly mild flavor.

The Scoville Spicy Scale

The degree of spiciness of pepper plants It is measured on the Scoville scale (by Wilbur L. Scoville) and is indicated in SHU (Scoville units). The scale ranges from 0 to 2,200,000.

The score depends on the capsaicin content, the spicy compound. Technically, a maximum score of 2,200,000 SHU means that 1 ml of the chilli would have to be diluted in 2,200,000 ml of water (that is, 2,200 liters!) so that its spiciness would not be noticeable.

Scoville values of some chili varieties (expressed in SHU):

0 to 10: sweet peppers
500 to 1000: Anaheim
2500 to 8000: Jalapeno
10,000 to 25,000: Serrano
30,000 to 50,000: Cayenne, Tabasco
50,000 to 100,000: Thai chili pepper
200,000 to 600,000: Habaneros
1,500,000 to 2,200,000: Carolina Reaper

Green chiles are not always milder than red ones

Many people believe that green chiles are generally milder than red ones. But a green pepper of a hot variety can taste much hotter than a red pepper of a milder variety.

Some varieties also do not turn red, but they turn yellow (Frontera Sweet), orange (Hot Orange), violet (Ecuador Purple) or even white (Habanero White). The degree of spiciness also varies with these varieties.

The spiciness itself, capsaicin, also has nothing to do with the red color, since it is found in greater concentration in the little white inner skins of the chili pepper.

Cooking with chillies

Fresh chillies are washed before use, separated from the stems and then, depending on the recipe, cut into rings or small pieces.

It is best to wear gloves when processing fresh chillies, because capsaicin is not soluble in water. Even after washing your hands, there is a risk that you will still have the spicy substance on your fingers. Touching your eyes with your fingers after working with chillies can be a very painful experience.

How to neutralize the heat of chili

To avoid surprises, you can cut a small piece off the tip before preparing it and try it raw. Keep in mind that the tip is the least spicy part of the chilli, because it is furthest from the white skins.
If the tip already seems too spicy, you should remove most of the seeds and white skins. If you are not used to it, at first you should use less chili than indicated in the recipe.
The longer you let the chili cook, the milder its spiciness becomes.
To soften a dish that is too spicy, you can neutralize it with a tablespoon of cream, yogurt or coconut milk. This is said to be the reason why so many Mexican dishes are topped with cheese or sour cream.
You can also cook them and add some potatoes to soups and stews, since they absorb capsaicin. Once the cooking time is over, remove the potato.