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 Hot peppers are found in a ton a varieties, shapes and sizes these days. Probably the most readily available and widely used variety is the jalapeno (shown above). We all know a little about hot peppers, but here are a few things you may not have known. The active ingredient in hot peppers is capsaicin, a chemical repellent found in all hot peppers. The capsaicin is found in mostly in the seed and ribs of the pepper. One of the quickest ways to lower the level of heat in any dish with ***chillis is to remove the membrane and seeds. Chillis are actually hollow fruits (this from Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking). The amount of a capsaicin is actually not only effected by the type of chilli, but on the conditions in which it is grown and on how ripe the chilli is.Â
Four things affect the strength of the capsaicin in your dish. The first is, of course, the type of chilli you purchase. (The best way to tell how hot your chilli is in comparison with others is to look at the Scoville index) The second and third factors also seem quite obvious, the amount of chilli you add and whether or not your peppers had the seeds and membranes intact. The four factor is the amount of time the chilli is in contact with the other ingredients.Â
Okay, so you know how to control the heat level, but what do you do if your mouth is on fire from eating a chilli. Harold McGee suggests getting an something ice-cold into your mouth or eating some crackers or a spoonful of sugar. “Cold liquid or ice cools the receptors down below the temperature at which they are activated, and the rough food distracts the nerves with a different kind of signal.” (On Food and Cooking, page 420)
So, that’s a little information on chillis. Hope this helps you the next time you are faced with a really hot chilli.
***I am using the spelling that many food science writers use for chillis.(I know the extra l looks a little funny :))
Some more science to add. This spicy ingredient usually manifests itself in the form of an oil. So if your mouth is on fire, having something creamy like a glass of milk will help emulsify the oil and move it off your mouth and into your tummy. Whereas drinking water mostly pushes the oils around your mouth.
Also one of the reasons why people enjoy spicy food, is because our body responds to the pain of the spiciness by releasing endorphins which makes us feel good.
Comment by Sang — March 15, 2007 @ 3:26 pm
Often when I’m cooking with chillis [the extra l does indeed look funny], I’ll remove the seeds and ribs from half the chilli and leave it in the other half as I chop it up. That gives whatever I’m making a nice medium heat.
And as Sang said, a good slurp of cold milk is a really fast way to cool the heat in your mouth.
Comment by Terry B — March 16, 2007 @ 9:32 am