(Credit: Pixabay)
There is a line of reasoning that suggests eating something hot makes a warm summer day seem cooler. In this case "hot" refers to the spiciness of the food rather than to its temperature. The theory is that the pain induced from the consumption of pungent foods causes the human brain to release compounds known as endorphins. The latter have been called the body's natural pain relievers which also are said to induce a feeling of wellbeing.
If there is truth in the preceding philosophy, then there are hot peppers now available to home gardeners that might prompt one to reach for a coat after eating them. For reasons unclear to the author, each year (mainly amateur) plant breeders take great pride in developing hotter, more fiery peppers. However, the fact is hot peppers are not new as a condiment.
Some theorize that eating hot peppers such as habenaro can make a summer day seem cooler. (Credit: Pixabay)
When Columbus sailed west in an attempt to find a shorter route to the spice-laden east, pepper (Piper nigrum) was one of the spices that prompted his voyage. Upon reaching what now is called the West Indies, he encountered indigenous people of the area consuming a "fiery" vegetable. Thus, pepper (Capsicum annuum) received its common name. Four additional species of Capsicum share that common name.
The genus Capsicum is a member of the Solanaceae (nightshade) plant family which contains some very familiar vegetables including, potato, tomato, and eggplant. Capsicum plants originated in what is now Bolivia and have been a part of human diets since about 7,500 BC. This makes them one of the oldest cultivated crops in the Americas.
Hot peppers (a.k.a., "chili peppers") derive their spicy heat when ingested from the chemical capsaicin and several related chemicals, collectively called capsaicinoids. Capsaicin is present in large quantities in the placental tissue (which holds the seeds), the internal membranes and, to a lesser extent, the other fleshy parts of hot pepper fruit. Scientists believe that capsaicinoids are produced by hot peppers in an attempt to prevent insect damage and fungal growth.
Most of the chemicals that cause a pepper to be hot are found in its seed cavity. Removing the seeds and associated tissue will cause the pepper to be milder. (Credit: Pixabay)
The spiciness or "heat" of hot peppers is express in terms of Scoville heat units (SHU) which, in turn, is an expression of the concentration of capsaicinoids contained by their fruit. The scale is named in honor of American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville, who developed it in 1912. In short, the greater the Scoville units of a pepper, the more pungent (or hotter) it is. It should be noted that any pepper having the ability to produce capsaicinoids will produce more of them under stressful (hot and dry) conditions.
While it is too late in the growing season to plant hot peppers, a knowledge of their identity can help curious individuals find them at local farmers' markets and other produce outlets. Inexperienced consumers are advised to start first with the milder, less-pungent types.
The following represents a partial list of hot pepper types in order of their pungency. Some are more readily available than others. Please note that members of very hot groups can be dangerous. Handle them using food service gloves and use extreme caution to keep the burning irritant in hot peppers away from the eyes and out of the reach of children.
| Type | Representative cultivar | Scoville units | Remarks |
| Poblano | 'Sargento' | 2,000 | Large, longer-than-wide & heart-shaped. Very mild. |
| Anaheim | 'Spitfire F1' | 2,500 | Long, slender, and mild in flavor. |
| Cherry | 'Cherry bomb' | 5,000 | Small, round, & red when mature. Mildly hot. |
| Jalapeño | 'Jedi' | 8,000 | Small, hot fruit tapering to rounded point. Popular. |
| Banana | 'Hungarian wax' | 10,000 | Name derived from shape and color. Up to 6" long. |
| Serrano | 'Hot rod' | 23,000 | About 2-3 inches long, tapered end & slim shape. |
| Cayenne | 'Red Ember' | 50,000 | Very slender with tapered end. Often used dried. |
| Habanero | 'Helios' | 320,000 | Short, small & round. The limit for most in hotness. |
| Scotch bonnet* | Scotch bonnet | 350,000 | Name derived from novel shape. Extremely hot. |
| Ghost pepper* | Bhut Jolokia | 1,040,000 | Originally grown for use in pepper defense spray. |
| Trinidad scorpion* | Moruga | 2,009,000 | Short, round, and wrinkled. Small "tail" on fruit. |
| Carolina reaper* | Carolina reaper | 2,200,000 | Red, gnarled, bumpy texture & small pointed tail. |
*Extremely hot and of questionable culinary value.
'Carolina reaper' has the dubious distinction of being the world's hottest pepper. (Credit: Dale Thurber via Wikipedia)
The preceding table illustrates that the "heat" contained by various types of hot peppers ranges from barely noticeable to the ridiculous. For those who simply cannot refuse the challenge of sampling the likes of Trinidad scorpion or Carolina reaper, be advised that a) consumption can cause adverse effects that might require medical attention, and b) cold milk is an effective way to relieve the burning sensation caused by capsaicin. The soothing action is because of a protein found in milk called casein that attracts and surrounds capsaicin molecules allowing them to be flushed away by the body.
The question arises, Why do humans seek out experiences (e.g., the consumption of extremely hot peppers) that they know will have negative consequences? A recent article in Scientific American describes the phenomenon as "benign masochism." The latter term refers to "enjoying initially negative experiences that the body (brain) falsely interprets as threatening. This realization that the body has been fooled, and that there is no real danger, leads to pleasure derived from "mind over body."
In conclusion, hot peppers have been part of the human diet for millennia. Those developed primarily for culinary use add interest to meals and provide certain health benefits. The latter include fighting certain types of cancer and promoting heart health. Conversely, extremely hot peppers are said to taste like "molten lava" and normally consumed only to prove a point. Proceed with extreme caution or defer consumption of these types to those with an acute case of "benign machoism," as mentioned above.
Jalapeño is the most widely planted type of hot pepper in the U.S. (Credit: Pixabay)
Hot pepper fun facts:
- As a general rule, the smaller the pepper the hotter it is.
- Birds are immune capsaicin, to the chemical that causes peppers to be hot.
- Certain hot peppers (e.g., cayenne) have been linked to heart health and cancer prevention.
- Indigenous people were farming hot peppers over 6,000 years ago in Peru and Mexico.
- Shishito is a type of pepper grown in Japan where only one out of every ten fruit is hot. There is no way to distinguish between pungent and sweet until the pepper is eaten.
- Chipotle and jalapeño are the same thing. Chipotle refers to the dried form of jalapeño.
- Laredo, TX hosts an annual Jalapeño Festival with entertainment and a jalapeño eating contest.
- The world record for the most jalapeño peppers consumed in 15 minutes is 152.
- The world record for the most ghost peppers eaten in one minute is 17.
- Some people tolerate hot peppers better than others because of a lack of capsaicin receptors on their tongue.