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Chiles
Pungency
General Chile Info Types of
Chiles
Chile peppers are not
members of the pepper family. Chile terminology is
confusing: pepper, chili, chile, chilli, Aji, paprika and Capsicum
are used interchangeable for "chile pepper" plants.
Chile peppers are actually part of the Capsicum genus. The word
Capsicum comes from the Greek language meaning "to bite."
In Mexico, Central America and the Southwestern United States, it is
referred to as a chile pepper.
Ancient South and Central
American cultures new what prize they had in their chiles. The
fiery peppers provided nutrients and added flavor and spice to their
foods. The chiles also served as cooling agents in a hot climate.
The capsaicin contained in the chiles invigorates the bloodstream by
dilating the capillaries. This increases the flow of blood and
perspiration which cools you off while your mouth is on fire.
Do you know there is a
difference between Chile and Chili? The spelling version of Chili
identifies the dish that is a combination of meat and pungent chile
peppers. Bell peppers are considered non-pungent, sweet chile
pepper types while "chile peppers" have come to mean the
pungent chiles that Chile-heads love.
So what
does pungency mean anyway?
Chile pungency (heat) levels
are the results of two factors, the actual type of plant and its growing
environment. Growers can produce chiles with a certain amount of
heat but genetic control is not fully understood. The environment
in which a variety is grown, water and temperature also influence heat
levels.
What makes
chiles hot?
What causes the burning
sensation is the alkaloid capsaicin. It is very stable and can
retain a certain heat level regardless if it is cooked, dried or frozen.
Scoville Heat Rating
Scale
| Pepper
Type |
Scoville
Units |
| Bell,
Sweet Italian, Pimento |
0 |
| Peperoncini,
Cherry |
0
- 500 |
| New
Mexico, Anaheim |
500
- 1000 |
| Ancho,
Pasilla, Poblano |
1000
- 1500 |
| Sandia,
Rocotillo, Cascabel |
1500
- 2500 |
| Jalapeno,
Chipotle, Poblano |
2500
- 5,000 |
| Serrano,
Yellow Wax |
5,000
- 15,000 |
| de
Arbol |
15,000
- 30,000 |
| Piquin,
Aji, Cayenne, Tabasco |
30,000
- 50,000 |
| Chiltepin,
Thai, |
50,000
- 100,000 |
| Habanero,
Scotch Bonnet |
100,000
- 300,000+ |
| Red
Savina, Tezpur |
300,
000- 550,000 |
| Pure
Capsaicin Extract |
16,000,000 |
Peppers are rated based on
Scoville Units, a method developed by Wilbur Scoville in 1912.
Many varieties of the
Capsicum species are not hot, or pungent. Most paprikas grown in Europe
and bell peppers grown in the US have little or no pungency.
The highest concentration of
capsaicin and subsequently the hottest part of the chile is in the seeds
and the vein of the fruit or the capsaicin glands. The heat level in
dishes can be adjusted by removing some of the seeds and vein of the
pepper.
The information and Diagram were
provided by Chile Pepper
Institute at New Mexico State University. Picture by Dr. Eric
Votava at New Mexico State University. The Chile Pepper Institute, Box
30003, MSC 3Q, NMSU, Las Cruces, NM 88003
General
Chile Info
It is
thought that chile peppers made their first appearance around 7000 BC in
Central Mexico. The first European to discover chiles was
Christopher Columbus. He was looking for another type of black pepper.
What he found were small hot pods that had been used as seasoning by the
Native Americans. He called them Pimientos meaning black peppers
in the Spanish language. The chiles were then introduced into the
European community. To this day, the popularity of chile peppers
has increased dramatically.
The
Top Pepper Producing Countries in the World
Production in Tons
China ------ 7,025,360 Turkey ---- 1,390,000 Mexico ---- 1,181,924
Nigeria ---- 970,000 Spain ------ 888,400 USA ------- 760,810
Egypt ------ 365,000 Korea ----- 322,341 Indonesia - 274,022
Italy ------- 245,800 Netherlands - 240,000 Tunisia ---- 210,000
Yugoslavia --- 209,000 Morocco ---- 203,700 Romania -- 191,376
Algeria ----- 190,000 Bulgaria -- 185,000 Japan ------ 165,000
Hungary --- 140,000 Macedonia -- 110,676 Greece ----- 110,000
Region
of origin Region
of cultivation
Chiles are
found virtually everywhere. New Mexico is the largest grower
of chiles in the United States. Additional growing states are
California, Texas, Arizona and Louisiana.
Information
Types
of Chile Peppers
There are
hundreds of types of chiles that are available throughout the world and
discussing each is well beyond the scope of my report. There are
certain popular chiles that are definitely worth talking about.
Here in Arizona, certain
popular fresh chiles are used for many classic dishes. Fresh
chiles add more to food than just heat. Each type of chile will
add its unique flavor that is a product of its growing environment.
 Habanero
This pepper
is considered to be the hottest of all chiles. However, it is also
considered to be the most flavorful. Habaneros have a sweet rich,
fruity flavor with tropical overtones. The best flavor is acheived
when the fruit is ripe or turned red from the yellow stage.
 Jalapeno
Mild to
medium heat, jalapenos are the most popular and widely used chile.
Jalapenos have a grassy, vegetable flavor when green and become sweeter
and milder as they ripen to red. A red jalapeno that has been
dried and smoked is called a Chipotle. As the result of the
smoking process, chipotles have no sheen and their skin is wrinkled.
Chipotles are pure smoke as they are hot. A little goes a long way
for flavoring a dish.
New
Mexico and Anaheim
Mild to
moderate heat. Both are the same type of pepper but differ by
geographic location and flavor. New Mexico peppers are hotter and
richer in flavor and are preferred for many uses. Anaheim peppers
are mild and sweet and are much easier to find. Dried New Mexico
Red chiles play an important role in Mexican and Southwestern cooking.
They are the basis for red sauces used in many meals. In dried
form, New Mexico Red chiles are mild with a simple earthy flavor with a
hint of cherry.
P oblano
Mild to moderate heat.
These peppers are a deep green in color and ripens to a brick red color.
The poblano dries to what is known as the Ancho Chile. Poblanos
should be roasted  and
peeled before using in sauces and salsas. These chiles are commonly used
chiles rellenos. Anchos are the most common of the dried chiles.
It has a sweet flavor with hints of plumb and raisin. They are
most often used in sauces and stews. They are also ground into a
powder that can be used in chilis and as a rub.
Serrano
Medium to high heat.
These chiles are considered more flavorful and hotter than the jalapeno.
Serranos have thick flesh and a bright vegetable taste with a hint of
citrus. Serranos are chopped, pureed with the seeds and are used
in salsas, marinades and civiches.
Chile de Arbol
This dried form of pepper is
a thin, bright red chile about 3 inches long. It is very hot and
very sharp in flavor with a slightly tannic, smoky flavor. It is
often cooked and pureed and is used in a variety of sauces and salsas.
Guajillo
Mild to moderately hot.
These chiles are shaped like an Anaheim with a deep red color. They have
a mildly sweet full bodied flavor with a soft berry flavor. They
are used in soups, stews. Their mild flavor compliment chicken and
pork dishes.
Pasilla
Pasillas, also known as
chile negro, are dark, reddish brown, wrinkled chiles. They have a
little richer and deeper flavor flavor than anchos. They are one
of my favorite to cook with in sauces and play an important part in my
hot sauce preparations.
Chile Tepin
These chiles are hot and
flavorful. They are harvested in Sonora, Mexico. They are
bright red and round but very small. They are served on the side
with tacos, soups and stews.
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