Cooking with Chili Peppers

When it comes to chili peppers for kitchen use, you don't have to stop with the jalapeno. Chili peppers come in a variety of colors and shapes and in varying degrees of spiciness.  Knowing more about the different types of peppers and how to handle them can help you give your recipes a little kick.

Types of Peppers

Capsaicin is the compound that makes peppers hot. The more capsaicin in a pepper, the hotter it is. The heat of a pepper is measured in Scoville heat units (SHU). Here's a list of peppers ranked by their heat, along with their places of origin:

• Bell: Bell peppers rank a zero on the Scoville scale. But, the heart-shaped pepperoncini pepper, native to the Mediterranean Basin and California, hits a little higher at 500 (SHU) and earns the spot as second mildest pepper.
• Jalapeno: One of the most popular chilies, the jalapeno hails from the Chihuahua, Texas, area. At 5,000 (SHU), this pepper is mild when compared to the habanero or even the cayenne.
• Banana or Wax: These originated in Mexico, California and the Southwest. While banana peppers may seem hot to some of us, their heat is only at about 10,000 on the Scoville scale.
• Serrano: Serrano peppers are native to Mexico and Southwest United States. Slightly less hot, these peppers rank 10,000 to 23,000 (SHU).
• Cayenne: Native to Louisiana, Mexico, Africa and Asia, cayenne peppers generate about 50,000 on the heat index scale.
• Thai: Thai peppers rank about 50,000 to 100,000 (SHU) and hail from Asia and California.
• Jamaican: These are native to Jamaica and can be found on other islands in the Caribbean. Jamaican hot peppers hit about 100,000 to 200,000 (SHU).
• Scotch Bonnet: Scotch bonnet peppers register about 250,000 on the Scoville scale and can be found in Jamaica, the Caribbean and in Belize.
• Habanero: Found in the Yucatan and Caribbean, the habanero is the hottest of hot peppers, pulling in a number as high as 300,000 (SHU).

Cooking and Eating Peppers

• Chilies are easy to grow and can be dried and stored for several years without losing their potency.
• When cutting chili peppers, it is wise to use plastic gloves, and never, ever touch your eyes or the membranes in or around your nose or your mouth. If possible, wear some type of surgical mask to keep from touching your face with your fingers.
• When cooking with chili peppers, do not open the pot lid and put your face in to get a whiff. The steam and juice of chili peppers have been known to burn sinus passages, as well as any skin it touches.
• If you're eating a dish with chili peppers, and it's too hot, milk has an agent in it that counteracts the effect of capsaicin, the potent ingredient in peppers. Bread is also good, as the capsaicin will bind with it.
• To ease the heat of capsaicin in your mouth, do not drink water. Because the juice of a hot pepper is oily, water will not mix with it. Instead, the water will move it from one part of your mouth to another. It can also be spread from your hands to your face or to your hands from a dishtowel used to wipe down the table after cutting hot peppers.

The Science of Peppers

Upon studying chili peppers in the wild, scientists have concluded that the degree of bite to a chili pepper has to do with how many bugs have gnawed on it. When insects or birds bite into the pepper, a certain type of fungus invades the plant through the minute holes. Because this fungus is so evasive, it can actually destroy the seeds, thereby destroying the plant's chances at further propagation. To protect itself, the plant produces more heat or capsaicinoids, a chemical that both protects them by slowing down the growth of the fungi, and which also causes the pepper to be hot.

Because capsaicin works on specific nerve receptors, and because birds and mammals have different nerve receptors, birds and insects do not feel the heat of a hot pepper. This is actually good for the pepper, as this gives it more chance to propagate. Birds feed on the pepper seeds, dropping some seeds to the ground, thereby giving the seeds a chance to grow. Other seeds pass through the bird's digestive tract unharmed.

If you eat chili peppers, you may benefit. Chili peppers are rich in Vitamin C and carotene, and high in potassium, iron, magnesium and Vitamin B. Plus, capsaicin from chili peppers is being researched for its effectiveness in treating diabetes. Capsaicin can also be rubbed on the skin over arthritic joints to ease the pain. However, in some tests, chili peppers have been associated with stomach cancer. Given the natural spiciness of pepper, you will be more inclined to eat them in moderation.