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TasunkaWitko
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Topic: Chilies 101 Posted: 15 April 2010 at 16:11 |
click here for an excellent page on identifying chilies!
Dried Chile Peppers
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Mild |
Moderately hot |
Hot |
Very hot |
Extremely hot |
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dried chiles = dried chilies = dried peppers |
arbol chile See chile de arbol.
bola chile See cascabel pepper.
cayenne pepper = Ginnie pepper Notes: These are very hot, bright red chiles. Recipes that call for cayenne pepper may be referring to a ground powder that goes by the same name, or to the fresh version of the pepper. Substitutes: chile de Arbol OR guajillo
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Chilhuacle negro chile Notes: This excellent Mexican chile is loaded with flavor but hard to find. It's used to make mole negro and bean dishes. |
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Chilcostle chile This Mexican chile is used in soups, stews, tamales, and mole sauces. |
chile bola See cascabel pepper.
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chile de arbol = arbol chile = red chile Pronunciation: ARE-bowl Notes: Unlike many chiles, these remain bright red even after drying. They're fairly hot. Don't confuse the dried version with the fresh, which goes by the same name. Substitutes: cayenne pepper OR pequin chiles |
chile negro See pasilla chile.
chiles de ristra See New Mexico red chile.
chile seco See chipotle pepper
chiltecpin See tepin.
chiltepin See tepin.
chiltpin See tepin.
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chipotle pepper (chile) = smoked jalapeno pepper = chile seco Pronunciation: chuh-POT-lay Notes: These lend a wonderful smoky flavor to sauces. They're usually canned in adobo sauce, but you can also buy the dried peppers in cellophane bags. Substitutes: (for chipotles in adobo sauce) 1 tablespoon catsup + 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke + 1 jalapeno pepper OR morita (smaller) OR mora OR ancho (larger and milder) |
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Costeño Amarillo chile This Mexican chile is used to make soups, stews, and mole sauces. |
Ginnie pepper See cayenne pepper.
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Japanese dried chile |
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mirasol chile (dried) Substitutes: chile de Arbol |
mora chile Notes: This is a smoked and dried red jalapeno pepper. Substitutes: chipotle chile OR morita chile (smaller)
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pequin pepper = piquin pepper Pronunciation: pay-KEEN Notes: These small red peppers are fairly hot. Substitutes: chile de Arbol OR tepin OR cayenne OR cascabel |
piri piri pepper Substitutes: malagueta peppers
piquin pepper See pequin pepper.
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puya chile = pulla chile Pronunciation: POO-yuh Notes: This is similar to the guajillo chile, only smaller and more potent. It has a fruity flavor that's good in salsas and stews. |
rattle chile See cascabel pepper.
red chile See chile de arbol.
smoked jalapeno peppers See cayenne pepper.
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tepin (tepín) = chiltpin (chiltpín) = chiltepin (chiltepín) = chiltecpin (chiltecpín) Notes: These look a bit like large dried cranberries. They're also sold fresh. Substitutes: pequin OR cascabel OR cayenne |
General Notes:
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When working with peppers, wear rubber gloves or, in a pinch, coat your hands with vegetable oil. Wash your hands carefully afterwards.
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TasunkaWitko
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Posted: 15 April 2010 at 16:16 |
click here for more information ~
All About Chili Peppers
Tips
Wash your hands thoroughly with warm, soapy water when you are through handling peppers.
Rub your hands with cooking oil before handling hot peppers if you feel it is impossible to work with rubber gloves. The oil protects the skin.
Soak your hands in milk to soothe them if you feel the tingling irritation that is a sign of pepper burn.
Flush eyes immediately with cold water if a hot pepper comes in contact with the eyes or mucous membranes.
From the outside, there is no sure-fire way to tell how hot a chili is, but a few guidelines will make the task easier.
Here is a flavor guide to chilis:
Remember that the smallest, thin-fleshed or narrowest peppers are the hottest. That's because they are more primitive, and the closer they are to the original wild peppers, the hotter they are. The same is true for small, pea-shaped or roundish peppers. They are very hot.
The larger, wider and thicker the chili, the more ''advanced'' and the milder it is. To cultivate cooler varieties with more substance and weight, people have been developing larger chilis for centuries.
Following this logic, the long, pencil-thin japones chilis (No. 13) will be much hotter than the thick, heavy-fleshed poblano chilis (No. 1).
The elongated, but thick California chilis (No. 14) are somewhere in between. But watch out; chili plants cross-pollinate in the blink of an eye, leading to hundreds of local varieties and new chili types.
The following is a list of some well-known chilis.
1. Poblano: Mild to mildly hot. Its thick, sturdy flesh is very flavorful, similar to a bell pepper. Frequently stuffed with cheese for chilis rellenos. Also good in fresh salsas, cooked sauces and Mexican foods.
2. California (canned): Usually mild. The vein, skin and peel already are removed. Use in salsas, enchiladas and baked dishes.
3. Serrano: Very hot. Sometimes sold pickled and fresh. Good in moderation in salsas, Caribbean and African stews and Oriental dishes.
4. Jalapeno: Very hot. Often sold pickled or fresh. Jalapenos are frequently used to add hotness but little flavor to nachos, salsas, conch salads and ceviche. (See also chipotle.)
5. New Mexico Red (dried): Variable, mild to hot. This is the shiny, brick red ristra, or strung chili of the Southwest. It has a deep, full flavor and rich aroma. Use to make cooked sauces, enchiladas, beans, or chili con carne.
6. Guajillo: Hot. Dried red Mexican chili used to make cooked red sauces for meat or chicken. Often sold ground or crushed.
7. Chipotle (canned): Very hot. Smoked, dried jalapeno peppers usually imported from Mexico. They have an exotic, smoky taste and are traditional in the Mexican meat marinating sauce called adobo. For less heat in stews or sauces, mix with other dried chiles, such as ancho, pasilla negro, New Mexican red or California.
8. Chipotle (dried): Very hot. Use the same way as canned, but soak in water to soften skin.
9. Pasilla Negro: Medium to hot. Dried Mexican chile. One traditional ingredient in mole, the famous Mexican sauce made of seeds, spices, chili and unsweetened chocolate. Use also in other Mexican cooked sauces.
10. California (dried): Mild. Usually sold ground and made into chili powders and chili mixes. Use in sauces, stews, beans and chili con carne.
11. Ancho (dried): Mild to medium. The traditional Mexican chile for mole. Ancho is very flavorful because it's the dried poblano chili. Use in red sauces, salsas, stews and chili con carne.
12. Mulato (dried): Mild to medium. A flavorful Mexican chili sometimes confused with ancho. It's darker and slightly larger, but can be used in place of ancho, New Mexican red or California chilis.
13. Japones (dried): Very hot. Sometimes called Hontaka, this chili is widely used in Oriental, Latin American and Caribbean cooking.
14. California (fresh): Mild. Can be very flavorful when roasted and peeled. Use in salsas, enchiladas, chilis rellenos and green chili stew.
15. Guero: Very hot. Shiny Mexican chilis sometimes confused with Hungarian Wax peppers or yellow jalapenos. Use in Latin American, Oriental, Caribbean and African cooking.
HOW HOT IS HOT?
In 1912 pharmacologist Wilbur Scoville devised a system to determine the degree of heat in chili peppers. That system measures pepper heat in Scoville units.
The more Scoville units, the hotter the pepper. The hotter the pepper, the greater the body's physiological response. Experts say chilies offer a mother lode of medicinal benefits.
Here's a sampler of chilies, from searing to mild.
Scoville Units Chili Rating (approx.) Varieties
10 100,000 - 300,000 Habanero, Bahamian 9 50,000 - 100,000 Santaka, Chiltepin, Thai 8 30,000 - 50,000 Aji, Rocoto, Piquin, Cayenne, Tabasco 7 15,000 - 30,000 de Arbol 6 5,000 - 15,000 Yellow wax, Serrano 5 2,500 - 5,000 Jalapeno, Mirasol 4 1,500 - 2,500 Sandia, Cascabel 3 1,000 - 1,500 Ancho, Pasilla, Espanola 2 500 - 1,000 NuMex, Big Jim 1 100 - 500 Mexi-Bell, Cherry 0 0 Mild bells, Pimento, Sweet banana
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Hoser
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Posted: 16 April 2010 at 02:36 |
Ron...that was one terrific post. Very informative and visually stunning..that's going to help a lot of people around here. Thanks.
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Go ahead...play with your food!
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TasunkaWitko
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Posted: 30 November 2011 at 13:54 |
Since we all have or know of stories involving "mishaps" with chilies, I decided to offer this advice from Time/Life's Foods of the World Series:
Hot chilies are cousins to the familiar green bell peppers, but they may require special handling. Their volatile oils may make your skin tingle and your eyes burn. Wear rubber gloves if you can and be careful not to touch your face or eyes while working with the chilies.
To prepare the chilies, rinse them clean under cold running water and cut or break the stem off if you wish the leave the [ribs and] seeds (which are the hottest parts) intact in the pods. If the chili is to be seeded, pull out the stem and the seeds attached to it; then break or cut the pod in half and brush out the remaining seeds with your fingers. In most cases, the ribs inside are thin, but if they seem thick and fleshy you may cut them out with a small, sharp knife. Follow the instructions included in the recipes for slicing or chopping chilies. [Note: If you wish to remove even more of the "heat," cut out the ribs, scrape the inside of the pod out with a spoon and rinse thoroughly under cold, running water.]
After handling hot chilies, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. |
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Melissa Mead
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Posted: 15 February 2012 at 19:04 |
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TasunkaWitko
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Posted: 08 June 2012 at 10:58 |
Here is some really good information from Wikipedia, showing many, many different varieties of chiles:
There are five major species of Capsicum cultivars, and appear in many varieties. The hotness of the fruit is indicated in the Scoville scale, which ranges from no heat at zero to pure capsaicin at 16,000,000.
Capsicum annuum
Capsicum annuum is a popular species native to South America. It is cultivated worldwide. Despite being a single species, the capsicum annum has many forms, with a variety of names, even in the same language. In American English it is commonly known as the chili pepper, although not all varieties would be recognized by most speakers under this name. In British English, the sweet varieties are called peppers[1] and the hot varieties chillies,[2] whereas in Australian English the name capsicum is commonly used for bell peppers exclusively and chilli is often used to encompass the hotter varieties. Its forms are varied, from large to small, sweet to sour, very hot to bland.
The plant is a perennial subshrub, with a densely branched stem. The plant reaches 0.5–1.5 m (20–60 in). Single white flowers bear the fruit which is green when unripe, changing principally to red, although some varieties may ripen to brown or purple. While the species can tolerate temperate climates (where they are grown as an annual), they are especially productive in warm and dry climates.
Image |
Name |
Country |
Hotness |
Length |
Description |
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Afghan Short Pepper |
Afghanistan |
&10000000000030000000000 5,000 - 30,000 SR |
5-8 cm (2-3 in) |
Grown in Afghanistan. |
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Aleppo |
Syria and Turkey |
&10000000000015000000000 15,000 SR |
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Grown in Syria and Turkey and used, in coarsely ground, dried form, as a spice that is also called Aleppo pepper. |
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Alma Paprika |
Hungary |
&10000000000010000000000 10,000 SR |
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A Hungarian pepper that is dried and ground to make spicy paprika. |
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Anaheim |
USA |
&10000000000002500000000 500 - 2,500 SR |
15 cm (6 in) |
Smooth, narrow fruit first cultivated in northern Mexico and New Mexico, and later brought to California, from where it has received the most notoriety. Often used for chile relleno. When mature, takes on a red color and is referred to as a colorado. |
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Banana |
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&10000000000000500000000 0 - 500 SR |
15 cm (6 in) |
Often pickled and used as an ingredient in sandwiches; its flavor is not very hot. Its shape and color resembles a banana. |
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Bell |
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&10000000000000000000000 0 SR |
15 cm (6 in) |
Cultivar group of large rectangular fruit without noticeable heat. The ripe fruit can be red, yellow, green, orange, white, purple, blue, or brown depending on the specific cultivar. |
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Cascabel |
Mexico |
&10000000000003000000000 3,000 SR |
2.5 cm (1 in) |
Small, round fruit that is usually dried and has a distinct nutty flavor. The name is Spanish for "rattle" or "jingle bell," and derives from the rattling noise made by the seeds inside the dried pod. |
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Cayenne |
French Guiana |
&10000000000050000000000 30,000 - 50,000 SR |
12.5 cm (5 in) |
Long, thin fruit that was transported by the Portuguese to China and India, where it is used widely. Often dried and ground into powder. |
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Cherry |
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&10000000000003500000000 3,500 SR |
2.5 cm (1 in) |
Named for the fruit it resembles, this cultivar's fruit is small, red, and round. It is typically used fresh, or pickled and jarred, and is often used to stuff green olives. It is also called pimento. |
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Chilaca |
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&10000000000002000000000 1,000 - 2,000 SR |
15 cm (6 in) |
Popular in Mexican cuisine. Almost always encountered dried; in this state, it is referred to as a pasilla. The pasilla has a dark brown color and a smoky flavor. |
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Chiltepin |
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&10000000000100000000000 50,000 - 100,000 SR |
0.5 cm (0.2 in) |
Small, hot fruit that is often eaten by birds. The plant is thought to be the oldest member of the Capsicum genus. Evidence indicates that this has been consumed by humans as far back as 7,500 B.C. |
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Chinese 5-color |
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3.5 cm (1.5 in) |
Starts out purple, then changes to white, yellow, orange and red. Similar to Bolivian Rainbow pepper and NuMex Twilight pepper. It is also called Chinese Multi-Color Pepper. |
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Cubanelle |
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&10000000000001000000000 1 - 1,000 SR |
12.7 cm (5 in) |
Medium thickness, tapered fruit that is green when unripe but turns red when mature. Often fried in Italian cooking. |
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De árbol |
Mexico |
&10000000000030000000000 15,000 - 30,000 SR |
8 cm (3 in) |
Slender fruited cultivar grown primarily in Mexico. Name is Spanish for "from a tree." |
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Fresno |
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&10000000000010000000000 2,500-10,000 SR |
9 cm (3.5 in) |
Same species as the Jalapeño but is more ripe and has a higher vitamin content. Frequently used in ceviche and is one of the most frequently used chilies in salsa. |
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Guajillo |
Mexico |
&10000000000005000000000 2,500 - 5,000 SR |
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Most often used in dried form to make a red sauce used for tamales. |
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Guntur Sannam |
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&10000000000040000000000 35,000 - 40,000 SR |
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It is well known as a commercial crop used as a condiment, culinary supplement or as a vegetable. |
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Hungarian wax |
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&10000000000008000000000 2,500 - 8,000 SR |
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Wide, semi-hot variety used in Hungarian cuisine. Frequently pickled. Also commonly dried, ground and presented as "Paprika." |
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Italian sweet pepper |
Italy |
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Used in Spanish cuisine. |
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Jalapeño |
Mexico |
&10000000000008000000000 2,500 - 8,000 SR |
9 cm (3.5 in) |
Very popular, especially in the United States. Often pickled or canned. A smoke-dried ripe jalapeño is referred to as a chipotle. |
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Shishito |
Japan |
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Mirasol |
Mexico |
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Macho |
Mexico |
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Medusa |
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It is a sweet, ornamental chili pepper which grows upright and has brightly coloured fruit. |
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New Mexico |
USA |
&10000000000005000000000 4,500 - 5,000 SR |
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Further more specific cultivars of Anaheim peppers, grown in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Typically, with a much higher heat than those grown in California, or elsewhere. |
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Peter pepper |
USA and Mexico |
&10000000000030000000000 5,000 - 30,000 SR |
8-10 cm (3-4 in) |
Rare, heirloom-type hot pepper |
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Pepperoncini |
Italy |
&10000000000000500000000 100 - 500 SR |
8 cm (3 in) |
Sweet-tasting and mild, is used extensively in Italian and Greek cuisine. Very frequently pickled. |
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Pequin pepper |
USA and Mexico |
&10000000000140000000000 100,000 - 140,000 SR |
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Also spelled piquín. |
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Poblano |
Mexico |
&10000000000002000000000 1,000 - 2,000 SR |
13 cm (5 in) |
Large, heart-shaped, dark green fruit that is extremely popular in Mexico. Often used to make chile relleno. When dried, referred to as an ancho or mulato. |
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Puya aka Pulla |
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&10000000000005000000000 5,000 SR[3] |
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Capsicum annuum L.,[4] hot, medium-size, green to red, and tapered[5] |
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Santa Fe Grande |
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The Santa Fe Grande is a very prolific variety used in the Southwestern United States. The conical, blunt fruits ripen from greenish-yellow, to orange-yellow to red. The peppers grow upright on 24" plants. Santa Fe Grande's have a slightly sweet taste and are fairly mild in pungency. |
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Serrano |
Mexico |
&10000000000023000000000 10,000 - 23,000 SR |
5 cm (2 in) |
Thin, tapered fruit that is green when unripe but turns red when mature. Due to its thin skin, it does not need to be peeled before use. |
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Super Chili[citation needed] |
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&10000000000050000000000 40,000 - 50,000 SR |
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Long, thin, and red |
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Tien Tsin |
China |
&10000000000075000000000 50,000-75,000 SR |
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Grown and used in China. |
Capsicum baccatum
These have a distinctive, fruity flavor, and are commonly ground into colorful powders for use in cooking, each identified by its color.
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Name |
Hotness |
Length |
Description |
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Ají amarillo |
30,000 - 50,000 SR |
7.5 cm (3 in) |
An aromatic, orange coloured fruit that is most popular in Peru. Often consumed raw in salsas and salads. |
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Bishop's Crown |
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A mild, oddly shaped, baccatum fruit that ripens to an orange or red. Also known as Monk's Cap among others |
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Piquanté |
1,000 - 2,000 SR |
2 cm (1 in) |
Mild, Sweet and Tangy flavour, usable in many dishes. |
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Brazilian Starfish |
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A hot, red baccatum fruit known for its unusual star shape |
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Wild Baccatum |
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A small, round, wild hot pepper, C. baccatum var. baccatum, that turns from green to red |
Capsicum chinense
Capsicum chinense or "Chinese capsicum" is a misnomer since all capsica originate in the New World. Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin (1727-1817), an Austrian botanist, erroneously named the species in 1776, because he believed that they originated in China.
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Name |
Hotness |
Length |
Description |
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Adjuma |
100,000-500,000 SR |
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Very hot, originally from Suriname. |
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Ají dulce |
0 SR |
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Datil |
100,000 to 300,000 SR |
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A very hot chili; primarily grown in Florida. |
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Fatalii |
125,000-325,000 SR |
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Madame Jeanette |
100,000-350,000 SR |
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Originally from Suriname. |
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Habanero |
100,000 - 350,000 SR |
5 cm (2 in) |
Often (mistakenly) referred to as the hottest, the habanero is nonetheless hotter than most commonly available cultivars. The habanero has a subtle fruity flavour and a floral aroma. |
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Bhut Jolokia |
up to 1,000,000 SR |
6 cm (2.4 in) |
Cultivar that originated in Northeast India and was once confirmed by Guinness World Records to be the hottest pepper. It is an interspecies hybrid, largely C. chinense with some C. frutescens genes (see Naga jolokia) |
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Scotch bonnet |
150,000 - 325,000 SR |
5 cm (2 in) |
Named because of its resemblance to a tam o'shanter, this fruit is closely related to the habanero and is similarly hot. Due to its heat and distinct flavour, it is often used in Caribbean cuisine. |
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Trinidad Scorpion Butch T |
up to 1,400,000 |
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Former world-record hottest chili. |
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Trinidad Moruga Scorpion |
up to 2,000,000 |
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World-record for hottest chili as of 2012. |
Capsicum frutescens
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Name |
Hotness |
Length |
Description |
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African birdseye |
50,000-175,000 SR |
2.5 cm (1.0 in) |
Also known as Piri piri, common In Portuguese, Mozambican and Angolan cuisines |
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Bird's eye chili |
50,000-100,000 SR |
3.5 cm (1.37 in) |
Native to the Philippines, this is locally known as "Labuyo". It's very hot and is often mixed in sauce instead of mixing it in dishes. Its color ranges from green, orange to red. |
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Tabasco |
30,000-50,000 SR |
4 cm (1.5 in) |
Native to Mexico, this fruit is now grown in large amounts in Louisiana by McIlhenny Company for the sauce of the same name. |
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Thai |
75,000 - 150,000 SR |
4 cm (1.5 in) |
Thin fruit with a pointed tip. Often used in the cuisines of Southeast Asia, especially (as the name implies) Thailand. |
Capsicum pubescens
Capsicum pubescens is among the oldest of domesticated peppers, and was grown up to 5000 years ago. It is probably related to undomesticated plants that still grow in South America (cardenasii, eximium, and others).
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Name |
Hotness |
Length |
Description |
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Rocoto |
50,000 - 250,000 SR |
6 cm (2.5 in) |
Round / square-shaped fruit with black seeds. Popular in Latin America, particularly in Bolivia and Perú. Used in salsas, raw, and for stuffing. In Bolivia it is commonly known as 'Locoto' and is used for the popular 'Llajwa'. |
Capsicum praetermissum
Capsicum praetermissum is wild hot pepper, bearing tiny fruits reminiscent of a pequin. Extremely aromatic and very fruity. The plant is uncommon and an interesting ornamental as well as edible, particularly for the pepper enthusiast. |
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Margi Cintrano
Master Chef
Joined: 03 February 2012
Location: Spain
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Posted: 29 June 2012 at 12:31 |
Ron,
Muchas Gracías for your exemplary post chockful of valuable information on the world of chili peppers.
Please do note too: I had posted a tiny guide within the Mexican English Glossary and the South American ( Peruvian ) English Glossary; however, not nearly as extensive as your´s.
Very worthwhile reference,
Grazie. Ciao.
Margi.
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Volamos a Mediterraneo, un paraiso que conquista su gente u su cocina.
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