Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <substitutions><spices><allergy><chili-peppers><bell-peppers>
Title: Chili and bell pepper substitute due to allergies?
Question: I recently learned that I am allergic to ALL forms of pepper except black pepper.  Bell peppers, chili peppers, etc.  I am allergic to and it makes my throat swell up.  I have several recipes using ground chili pepper.  Is there a substitute spice that will give my (mostly ground beef casseroles) recipes SOME flavor?

Answers:
sents: text: You are not going to find anything outside the chili family that gives quite the same flavor, so substituting flavor-wise is not going to be possible.
text: Note that paprika is a spice ground from particular pepper, so if you are allergic to all capsicum peppers, you don't want to use it.
text: What you can do is build other flavorful combinations which you enjoy and which you can eat.
text: Some things to consider that bring a touch of some type of heat with them include: Mustard powder (a touch of mustard-type heat, and a deep flavor.
text: Probably want to combine with some herbs like oregano or rosemary.
text: Horseradish (just a touch for piquancy)
text: Ginger, which will work very well in Asian inspired dishes, and in combination with those flavors Szechaun peppercorns (not a capsicum pepper)
text: -- they have a unique flavor and effect; you will have to decide if you like them
text: All of these flavors are "hot" but from different chemicals than the capsicum peppers, so they will all have different effects.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/14401/SAJ14SAJ
score: 10
sents: text: I share your allergy and have for some time.
text: First - I'm very sorry, it's not a fun one to have.
text: Second - there are a lot of spices you can use that give color and flavor without going into the pepper family.
text: I have a recipe for a curry powder you can use:2
text: tablespoons whole cumin seeds, toasted2 tablespoons whole cardamom seeds, toasted2 tablespoons
text: whole coriander seeds, toasted1/4 cup ground turmeric1 tablespoon dry mustard
text: It's adapted from an Alton Brown recipe (no cayenne)
text: but the cumin still adds a bit of a kick without requiring an epi-pen.
text: Also - you can use wasabi in some cooking
text: - it gives a bit of a bite as well.
text: I also use tumeric, as it adds color as well as flavor.
text: I use quite a bit of raw garlic and onion, as it gives a bit of a bite to food, but too much will leave a casserole bitter.
text: Hope this helps!
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/24339/user24339
score: 8
sents: text: Galangal root is a possibility ( more info ).
text: It's sort of like ginger that's been kicked up a notch on the hot/spicy axis.
text: Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai stores will have it.
text: There's also a powdered form available online.
text: I've never tried that, but maybe it doesn't suffer the same terrible fate as powdered ginger.
text: Prickly
text: ash (Sichuan pepper) and Japanese Prickly ash are other possibilities.
text: The Sichuan pepper does add a funny sort of heat to things.
text: I've never found the Japanese version to try.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/5455/Wayfaring Stranger
score: 6
sents: text: Thanks for all the tips.
text: I have arthritis and any thing in the 'deadly night shade family of plants is bad for us.
text: That is: Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, chilli and its sidekick Paprika.
text: These two latter things make my joints swell - not life threatening but very painful.
text: In looking for an alternative, I have found some Garam Masala does not contain any Chilli or Paprika and many recipes for Korma curry do not use chilli.
text: It doesn't quite have the kick but it is very tasty.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/65749/Ashfish47
score: 1
sents: text: Be very careful with mustard.
text: Premade mustard contains paprika.
text: I make my own for recipes that call for it, and use the dry mustard to cook often.
text: Cumin is a wonderful way to add flavor, and I especially like corriander.
text: Experiment and see what you like best.
text: Its a bit of a crapshoot and everyone's tastes are a little different.
text: Cook in small batches, so there's no leftovers, until you find what you like best.
text: Good luck!
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/68310/Ciaodhna 
score: 1
sents: text: Black Pepper falls into a very different plant family than chilies and bell peppers.
text: Also the compound that produces the spicyness is different (piperine vs capsaicin).
text: There's are a A LOT of different pepper species that should offer some variety if you can get a hold of them.
text: Also don't underestimate the differences in black pepper alone.
text: This site also lists a few other species that are sold as "pepper" but are neither Solanaceae nor Piperaceae: Schinus Molle
text: / Pink pepper Prickly Ash
text: / Sichuan pepper
text: And as others have suggested, the Ginger family is always a good source of flavorfull spicyness.
text: Further options for spicyness taken from
text: this answer : Horseradish Mustard Or Wasabi as others have also already suggested and warned about fakes.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/61049/Kempeth
score: 0
sents: text: I'm allergic to red chili pepper and usually make do with ginger, mustard and some cumin.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/67551/Slothful Slob
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
Ginger, mustard, horseradish, Szechuan peppers, wasabi and galangal roots are possibilities that add heat to some dishes.
You can try mustard powder, horseradish, ginger, wasabi, galangal root and cumin.