 So
what's hot and what's not? How can you tell? The standard measure
for chilli heat intensity is a Scoville unit (named after one
Wilbur L Scoville in 1912 who used human tasters in the beginning,
poor buggers). In a nutshell it's calculated by measuring how
much water it takes to dilute out the heat to its last point
in a sample of the chilli or sauce.
So to give you a real example, a regular Jalapeno Pepper
is around 4,500 Scoville units. This means that it takes 4,500
parts of water to 1 part of Jalapeno before the last tiny
bit of heat can be felt.
All you really need to know is the bigger the Scoville rating,
the hotter it is. Not all our products carry a Scoville rating
but where there is one we state it. And it's pretty interesting
anyway.
CAUTION - DON'T RUB YOUR EYES OR
PICK YOUR NOSE!
Make sure you're careful when using chillies or stuff with
chillies in them. It can hurt like hell if you rub your eyes
or touch your nose. The burning bit in a chilli is a compound
called capsaicin. It's an oil so if you do over indulge and find your tongue
on fire, the best way to counter it is with something oily
or fatty like milk, yoghurt or ice cream.
THERE'S SOMETHING YOU DIDN'T KNOW...
Despite the intense, searing heat of some chillies, there's
no evidence to suggest that eating chillies is bad for you
or that it can cause ulcers. Chillies actually contain lots
of good stuff like vitamin A and C, as well as E.
GREEN OR RED, FRESH OR DRIED?
Whether a chilli is green or red is simply down to how ripe
it is. It goes red as it gets riper - it's nothing to do with
the variety.
What's hotter - fresh or dry? Drying chillies does intensify
their flavour and consequently can have the same effect on
their heat. The general rule is don't substitute dry for fresh
when following a recipe.
Feel the heat.
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