heat - What is the hottest part of a chili/chilli/chile pepper? - Seasoned Advice What is the hottest part of a chili/chilli/chile pepper? up vote 18 down vote favorite 2 I often hear different points of view to this question - some say the hottest part of the chili is its seeds, yet I've heard some (arguably more believable) sources claim that the white part that holds the seeds to the flesh is the hottest. What part of the chili fruit is the hottest? 1 oops... after editing chilli out in favor of chili I noticed OP is in Australia, where chilli appears to be the normal spelling. I don't appear to be enabled to rollback this edit, but it is still pending peer review so I hope that it either won't get 'approved' or can be rolled back quickly thereafter.

– Cos Callis Jul 4 '11 at 12:27 up vote 18 down vote accepted The Wikipedia article on Capsicum reads, citing a FAQ on a page of the ollege of Agriculture and Home Economics of the New Mexico State University: 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 the fruits of plants in the genus Capsicum. Contrary to popular belief, the seeds themselves do not produce any capsaicin, although the highest concentration of capsaicin can be found in the white pith around the seeds. Cisneros-Pineda et al. measured via gas chromatography the content of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in the pericarp, placenta, and seeds of seven cultivars of chili peppers and the results confirm this: For dihydrocapsaicin, the difference is not so large, but the placenta still has a higher concentration. In terms of concentration considering fresh mass the difference won't be as dramatic because while the seeds lose around half their mass by drying, the placenta will lose 90%.

What is the hottest part of the chili pod? Not the seeds. | Albuquerque Innsights Farewell to a Great Dog – My Mini Eulogy » What is the hottest part of the chili pod? Not the seeds. I was watching a food show on the Travel Channel the other day. It was Adam Richman’s Man vs Food. At one point in the broadcast he mentioned that seeds were the hottest part of the chili pepper and that burns me up because it is not so. I like Adam, and his show – but he is wrong on this one. If you really like the heat, cut the jalapenos like wheels leaving the membrane in, as if often seen on nachos, but for a more delicate flavor the strips seem to work better. The part of the chili pod that has the most heat is the membrane inside that the seeds are attached to. Seeds themselves do not hold much heat if any. The only benefit that the seeds may give you if you leave them in when preparing a dish may be as a source of fiber. This seed theory is a common misconception, but any expert on capsicum plants will tell you it ain’t in the seeds.

All chili peppers are members of the capsicum family and they all pack some level of heat, even bell peppers. Being a Jersey Girl I had no idea how to prepare chili dishes when I moved to New Mexico. I loved chili, but was clueless on what to do. I used to buy my new found culinary delight – fresh green chili – from the farmer’s market and used them as if they were bell peppers – just chopped ’em up fresh and threw them in with onions and other veggies when I sautéed. I even did this with spaghetti sauce, using the green chili in place of green bell peppers. I didn’t know any better, and ignorance was bliss for at least a year until a friend told me…”Ya know, you’re suppose to roast and skin those.” Huh? No wonder the skins seemed a little tough. I usually remove the membrane in jalapeno peppers, but you don’t have to skin these. So I got educated. Now after 30 plus years of practice I’m a pretty good New Mexican food cook, but over these 30+ years I have had a change in tastes, so to speak. In my younger years the heat was a blast – the hotter the better.

Now the flavor of whatever kind of chili I am eating is so much more important to me, so I remove the membrane of really hot chili peppers when prepping them for a recipe. The whole chili pepper has heat, but the majority of this heat is packed into the white membrane that the seeds hang onto in the center of the pepper. I feel I would be remiss in not telling you all that the heat in a chili pepper is no laughing matter when it comes to your delicate body parts, so be very harmful during and after prepping chili peppers of all kinds. DO NOT rub your eyes or touch/scratch any other part of yourself until you have had a change to thoroughly wash your hands, with soap, maybe more than once if the chili is really hot. Don’t change a baby diaper either. If you do experience the burn from any chili (capsicum) variety, use a milk product to soak the affected area until the pain is gone or bearable. This is not just my remedy, but also the advise of Poison Control here in Albuquerque. They get these chili pepper calls all the time. We had a neighbor from Utah who was very enthusiastic about green chili after moving to Albuquerque.

He did the usual New Mexico fall ritual of purchasing a freshly roasted sack of chili for use throughout the year. He brought it home and proceeded to skin and package it for freezing. He didn’t know any better and in the middle of his chili ritual he went to use the bathroom without washing his hands FIRST. We got the phone call of panic. We laugh about it now, but he wasn’t laughing at the time. It is a way too common mistake of new comers to our state. Ouch. If you will be prepping lots of chili, wear gloves or, at very least, use some olive oil on your hands and work it into your cuticles and under your nails. This helps a lot. For more info on chili peppers I highly suggest books New Mexico’s own chili gurus, Dave Dewitt and Paul W. Bosland. The best is their collaborative effort and in my opinion THE best book on all things pepper – The Complete Chile Pepper Book: A Gardener’s Guide to Choosing, Growing, Preserving, and Cooking. Enjoy your chili peppers, and be careful out there! I know the best things to eat in Albuquerque!

Why chillies are hot: the science behind the heat - Australian Geographic BUY NOW YOUR EYES ARE watering, your nose is running, and your mouth feels like an inferno. Instinctively, you reach for the glass of cold water in front of you and slosh the liquid down your throat. To your dismay, the water does almost nothing to douse the flames. If only you'd had a glass of full-cream milk – after all, that's the common cure for chilli heat. Or is it? Humans have been cultivating chillies for 6000 years, but we are still learning new things about the science behind their heat and how it reacts with our body. In the late 1990s, scientists identified the pain nerves that detect capsaicin: the chemical in chillies responsible for most of the burn. But it's only during the last few years that scientists have also learnt why chillies evolved to be spicy in the first place, and they have managed to cultivate new varieties that are up to 300 times hotter than the common Jalapeno.

What we have known for more than a century, though, is that the capsaicin compound (pronounced cap-say-sin) is hydrophobic, meaning it doesn't dissolve in water but readily dissolves in fats and oils. And this explains why full-cream milk, and not water, is the traditional choice for quelling the fire. "Something with a lot of fat in it – like yogurt or milk – is going to dissolve the compound and wash it away," says Mark Peacock, a plant scientist from the University of Sydney, who this year helped to cultivate the world's hottest chilli, the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T . "My favourite remedy is olive oil," he says, "but it's not the most pleasant." Top 10 hottest chillies in the world Why did chillies evolve heat? The hottest part of a chilli is not the seeds, as many people think, but the white flesh that houses the seeds, known as the placenta. But why did chillies evolve to be hot in the first place? Most scientists believe capsaicin acts mainly as a deterrent against would-be mammal predators such as rodents.

"If a mammal eats a chilli, the seeds are completely destroyed by the mammalian digestive system," says Mark. But recent research suggests this may not be the whole story. US scientists working in Bolivia have studied how hot and mild chillies differ in their susceptibility to a certain harmful fungus . It turns out that the hotter the chilli, the better its defences against the fungus, leading the researchers to propose that heat may have evolved to help chillies deal with harmful microbes, as well as hungry mammals. Birds, unlike mammals, are not bothered by capsaicin, and their digestive systems actually encourage chilli seeds to germinate. So when birds fly away and spread their droppings, they help the parent plant to disperse its seeds. Maximising the heat Some varieties of chilli are naturally hundreds of times hotter than others, but Mark says they all have a "maximum genetic potential" that can be achieved through clever growing techniques . Working with NSW business The Chilli Factory, Mark used liquid runoff from a worm farm to fertilise a particularly spicy chilli known as the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T. Months later, the Butch T claimed the Guinness World Record for the hottest chilli.

Like all fertilisers, 'worm juice' is rich in nutrients like phosphorous and nitrogen, but what makes it particularly effective for bringing out the heat are the bodies of insects that have decomposed in the worm farm. "The insects in there are living and dying pretty rapidly, and bits of their shell will break down," says Mark. "When you apply the juice to the plants' roots, they think they're getting eaten by insects." In response, the chillies produce more of their defensive compounds like capsaicin. "It's like getting an injection to boost your immune system," he says. Why chillies are unpleasant Chillies are inherently unpleasant to humans – capsaicin is technically a neurotoxin – and yet every day, more than two billion people around the world consume them. Our obsession with chillies can be at least partly explained by the fact that our body releases endorphins in response to the burn. These are the same chemicals released during orgasm and the so-called 'runner's high'. Curiously, humans appreciate a number of flavours that are inherently distasteful, says Professor Joel Bornstein, a neurophysiologist from the University of Melbourne.

"Sour and bitter are supposedly unpleasant but we've converted them in our minds into pleasant tastes," he says. "It's similar with capsaicin." Fooled into thinking chilli is hot Capsaicin is a special case, however, in that it can fool our bodies into thinking chillies are literally 'hot'. "The nerve cells that have the receptor to detect capsaicin, some of them also sense changes in temperature," says Joel. "So when they're activated, they tell the brain there is a hot stimulus and it actually feels like your mouth is burning." The more concentrated the nerve receptors in a particular part of your body, the more sensitive that part is to capsaicin. That's why getting chilli in your eye can be unbearable, and why you should protect your hands when touching the inside of a hot chilli. Handling the outer layer, however, is usually not painful. Fortunately for heat-seekers, it appears capsaicin does not cause permanent tissue damage, even in high doses. "It's what I call 'fake pain'," says Mark.

"It doesn't actually cause you physical harm, even though it feels like it." READ MORE: Chillies - Hot healer for many illnesses Chillies - Hot healer for many illnesses Twitter Chillies may prevent: cancer, heart disease, stroke, blood clots, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, bronchitis, emphysema, coughs and colds and stomach ulcer. Used as a food, a spice and an herbal medicine for over 9,000 years, chillies are said to be good for the kidneys, spleen, pancreas, lungs and heart. In Victorian England, chillies were prized for their warming properties in treating arthritis, chills, rheumatism, sprains and depression. Over 3,000 scientific studies are listed in the US National Library of Medicine, supporting the use of chillies in preventing and reversing many common health ailments. Chillies are also listed in many world pharmacopoeias (official drug lists). According to the American Physicians Desk Reference, several prescription drugs also contain the herb. About 12% of chilli is comprised of capsaicin, the compound that makes it taste hot — this is where most of chilli’s medicinal properties come from.

Potent painkiller. Capsaicin (an active ingredient in many commercial pain medications) is a natural painkiller that provides pain relief from arthritis and diabetes, and can alleviate headaches (when inhaled), and joint pain (when injected). Capsaicin blocks Substance P, part of the body’s pain-and inflammation chemistry. In response to the burn, our brain secretes endorphins, the body’s natural pain relievers (their pain-relieving effect is similar to that of morphine) and uplifting chemicals. Medically, it is one of the most powerful local pain relievers available and is regularly used to treat the pain of arthritis, shingles, toothache and surgery scars. Ointments and lotions with capsaicin are also used as an external remedy for nerve pain and itching. A 1989 study revealed that capsaicin applied topically had pain-relieving effects among 50% of women who had undergone mastectomies for breast cancer. A 1991 study found that capsaicin cream decreased the amount of pain caused by diabetic neuropathy (a nerve disorder).

A 1994 study showed that when used with other medications, it produced substantial pain reduction in patients with mouth sores caused by chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Blood circulation booster. It stimulates blood circulation and improves the body’s entire circulatory system, thus wards off disease (disease is caused by poor circulation or lack of fresh blood to various parts of the body). This also feeds the cell structure of arteries, veins and capillaries so they will regain elasticity. Much of the healing starts in the mouth. As capsaicin touches the tongue it sends signals along nerve endings, sending “new blood” to “sick” parts of the body. Clot buster. It revs up the body’s blood-clot-dissolving system. A Thai study shows that frequent stimulation from hot chillies (widely eaten in Thailand) continually clears the blood of clots, leaving Thais generally less vulnerable to arterial blockage. This may be a primary reason thromboembolisms — life-threatening blood clots — are rare among Thais. Because it thins the blood, increases blood flow and extends blood coagulation time (preventing harmful blood clots), it thus helps combat heart attack and stroke. Heart food.

Chillies increase heart action without raising blood pressure. They also prevent blood platelet aggregation and this reduces risk of cardiovascular disease. Blood pressure reducer. It dilates arterial walls and cuts through mucus in the veins, thus increasing circulation to the extremities and helping overall to lower blood pressure. Cholesterol fighter. When used in conjunction with a diet low in saturated fats, it may also help to cut triglycerides and decrease bad cholesterol levels. It also prevents cholesterol from turning into harmful elements that block blood vessels. Lung-friendly. It helps clear blocked airways by thinning mucus in the sinuses. Because it is an expectorant or decongestant, it also helps prevent rhinitis, bronchitis and emphysema. Chillies are thus useful for colds or flu. Antiviral. In the west, natural therapists add a little chilli to anti-flu tonics in winter to increase the flow of mucus, which helps eliminate viruses and relieve congestion. Antibacterial. Chillies also act as an internal disinfectant — it can detoxify the colon and help with eliminative functions. Toxin remover. The seed and oil are used medicinally to help remove toxins from the system.

Digestive aid. Chillies stimulate the secretion of saliva and gastric juices and act as a digestive aid, especially when taken with meals. (Medically, the leaves and stalks are known to be good digestive aids too.) Weight loss aid. Speeds up the metabolism (that is why we tend to perspire after eating chillies), hence burning off calories. Mood enhancer. Taken internally, capsaicin triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s feel-good hormones, in the brain. Anticancer. Studies indicate it also helps stop cancer cell growth. Health stimulant. Chillies are an excellent stimulant. When we eat chilli, the capsaicin stimulates the trigeminal nerve (the main facial nerve which has branches in the mouth, nose and eyes). This nerve system is a separate sense (different from the senses of taste and smell), which health experts believe is designed to warn and protect us from potentially harmful substances. When the body is stimulated properly, the healing and cleansing process starts, allowing the body to function normally. Chillies also initiate the body’s defence mechanisms (eg: the tears and runny nose that often accompany a hot curry) to get rid of “irritants”.

Life sustainer. Capsaicin has been proven to protect DNA cells from attack by toxic molecules (eg: from tobacco and other toxins). Protects against radiation. Red chilli powder could protect healthy tissue in people undergoing radiation therapy (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry). An Indian study found that chilli ranks above black pepper and turmeric in shielding 2 microorganisms (Escherichia coli and Bacillus megaterium) from irradiation. Prevent stomach ulcers. Taken internally, chillies help heal disorders of the stomach lining, like ulcers, by creating more mucous and coating the wall of the stomach. In countries like Thailand, Brazil and Mexico, where chilli is a big part of the staple diet, stomach ulcers are uncommon. Contains Vitamin A (needed for good vision and healthy immunity; and which also smoothens rough skin, clears acne, helps reduce wrinkles, heals wounds, and retards cell ageing). When dried the Vitamin A content increases as much as 100-fold. Fresh chillies are high in Vitamin C — twice the amount found in citrus fruits (like orange, pineapple and lime). And they contain 6-9 times as much Vitamin C as a tomato.

Hot chillies (ie the “Habanero” variety) contain 357% more Vitamin C than an orange. Vitamin C helps clear blood clots in veins, prevent heart disease by eliminating plaque from the arteries, heals wounds and prevents colds. Because of their high Vitamin C content, chillies can prevent respiratory infections and can help strengthen the immune system. Rich in carotenoids (orange and red colouring compounds), which have strong antioxidant properties that protect against cancer. Red chillies are a good source of beta-carotene. A single pod contains a full day’s supply of beta-carotene and nearly twice the recommended daily allowance for Vitamin C, which makes the chilli an invaluable food in the fight against cancer and heart disease. Provides many other nutrients, including Vitamins B1 and B2, beta-carotene, iron, phosphorus, calcium, iron, sodium, magnesium, zinc, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. 100 grams of red chillies offers a good source of protein (15.9 mg), calcium (160 mg) and phosphorus (370 mg). The same amount of green chillies is a good source of iron (4 mg).

Low in fat, and contains the right kind of fat — 66% linoleic acid and 5% linolenic acid (2 essential fats in the diet of humans). USEFUL TIPS To reduce the “heat” from chillies, remove the seeds and membrane, chillies’ hottest parts. If your mouth burns from eating chillies, breathe through your nose, not your mouth, as this tends to “irritate” the “hot spots”. Also try one of these: some common table salt, milk, yoghurt, cucumber, mint leaves, ice-cream, chocolate, sugar, or starchy foods (eg: bread). Do not drink water (this can intensify the burning effect). CAUTION Eating large quantities regularly can lead to gastritis and peptic ulcer. Not for people with irritable colon. Can produce bleeding in a person suffering from piles. Excess consumption may induce labour in pregnant women and cause miscarriage. May pass into breastmilk, causing it to become unpalatable to the infant. o Can cause stomach upset or diarrhoea in some people. Do not allow chilli to come in contact with a cut or graze as it can burn the skin.

Read about how protective foods like fruits and vegetables give us the nutrients that we need in the CAP Guides, Fruits - A Nutrition Guide and Vegetables - A Nutrition Guide The Chilli Factory - Head Office - Setting the World on Fire! - Home of the Hottest Chilli / Chili in the World - Chilli FAQ Read this and more articles at our Write up Gallery click here. Eating chilli and your health Herewith we would like to summarize a few health facts. Recent years there has been a lot of research and every year research finds out more about the healthy benefits of the chilli. Chilli will clear your sinuses. After eating chillies your nose starts to run. Therefore great to fight off the flu or even hay fever? Hay Fever This is what one of our customers found out after eating our hot habanero paste Turbo Supercharge. He has had hay fever all his life. Up until he reached the hottest chilli in the world (Habanero) and after eating that for a while his hay fever has gone. Flu Make sure that you start straight when feeling the first symptoms of the flu coming...

Have your meals with: minimum of 4 cloves of fresh garlic, a nice chunk of ginger and a hot chilli! Do not cook the garlic, ginger and chilli but put it fresh on top of your cooked dish, say a nice Singapore Noodles. You start sweating and it clears the sinuses. Repeat until fully recovered. There has been a lot of research done about all the health benefits of the chilli and so far more than 50 common ailments are said to be cured by eating chilli. In the old days it was believed and used to fight of scurvy. Also used to prevent or cure: rheumatism, arteriosclerosis, toothache, stomach-ache, epilepsy, asthma, varicose veins and malaria. They are tonic and antiseptic. Stimulate your digestive system and if rubbed on areas of your skin it will stimulate the blood flow and for these reasons have been used also to treat sprains, rheumatic pain in the muscles of the lower back (lumbago) or chilblains (sore or swollen skin) Be careful when using because it may cause blistering or dermatitis when used over a longer period of time!

Chillies do speed up your metabolism and have more vitamin C in them than any other fruit. (Yes chilli is a fruit) Also be noted that the hotter the chilli the more vitamin C they contain. Apparently the red variety of the habanero chilli from Mexico contains more than 350x the amount of vitamin C than the average orange! You can use chillies to repel your garden pest or to keep barnacles off boats. The oils in the chilli (oleoresins which are the concentrated extract or oils found in chillies) are used into the base of this special paint for boats. These chilli oils keep the barnacles at bay. Last Update: Monday, October 10, 2005. 10:59am (AEST) Health benefits: The authors of the study hope more people will include chilli in their diets. (Reuters) Chilli conditions ideal for a good night's sleep A pilot study in Tasmania has found people might sleep better if they regularly eat chillies. Researchers at the University of Tasmania have spent the past 18 months studying the potential health benefits of chillies on a group of 10 volunteers in Launceston.

Some in the group were given 15 grams of chilli each day, while others did not have any. The results were compared to see what effect it had on the participant's health and well-being. Associate Professor at the School of Life Sciences Dominic Geraghty says the results were promising. "Chilli consumption may improve your sleep and, of course, the quality of your sleep very much also influences your cardiovascular health," he said. "We also found it appears to have very small effects on insulin levels, glucose levels. "So all of these small things appear to have a bit of benefit for your cardiovascular and everything else that you're supposed to be doing to keep you fit and healthy, it may help." Associate Professor Geraghty hopes the study will encourage more people to include chilli in their diet. "Chilli might be a neutroceutical, in other words a naturally occurring agent that we can just take on a daily basis in a small amount and it may actually benefit our cardiovascular health," he said. How can you measure/rate the heat of chillies? There are a few different ways of measuring the heat of a chilli.

The first documented way to measure the heat of a chilli is invented and created by: Wilbur L. Scoville in 1912. He used a panel of people who would taste test the chillies. The sample would be watered down up until the panel could no longer detect any heat. The units of water added to the sample would then be rated on the Scoville scale (For instance the Habanero is rated app. 200.000 up to 550.000 Scoville units!) Later in the 20th century around 1980 James Woodbury used a different technique to measure the heat of the chillies. He developed a technique to determine the level of capsaicin (the working ingredient in the chilli causing the pain) by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). A special measuring tool called a spectrofluorometer which can measure the capsaicin levels in parts per million. This is then translated back to the Scoville scale.

About our tests: Report from the lab with the results… Even our BHUT which we grow here on our property, which is the Jolokia or Ghost chilli and previous world record holder, is hotter than the “original” world record of the same chilli (we scored: 1,110,900 SHU). We found that the better you treat your chillies the hotter they get!! As a sample see report from lab… it says Bhut Hothouse ….The Bhuts from the hothouse had it too hot when heatwave came across the Hunter and you can see that they get a less hot rating straight away… too much suffering and they do not like that at all…Very sensitive and need lots of attention and worm juice offcourse! Mark Peacock knows much more about this … it is his kind of field but also on-line some various sources state actually the same as we found while growing our chillies for the past 3 years: The effect of climate on the Scoville rating of Bhut Jolokia peppers is dramatic.

A 2005 study comparing percentage availability of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in Bhut Jolokia peppers grown in Tezpur ( Assam ) and Gwalior ( Madhya Pradesh ), India showed that the heat of the pepper is decreased by over 50% in Gwalior's more arid climate. [23] Elsewhere in India, scientists at Manipur University measured Bhut Jolokia's average Scoville rating by HPLC at only 329,100 SHU. [20] How to stop this burning pain! There are a few first aid tips, which you can use to put out that fireâ€¦ Yoghurt, milk, sour cream, ice cream or cheese Avocado does a good job too. Also any product with peanuts. Sugar, banana, cucumber or dry bread. Basically any dairy product will take away the pain. The best one so far is yoghurt. Not because it takes the heat away the easiest but because it is not runny and you can keep it into your mouth to cool down. Also ice-cream offcourse this is furthermore a good excuse to eat a whole tub of the stuff.

Do not ever drink or try the following to cool down Run around berserk with your mouth open, this is definitely not a cool idea to take away the pain. Furthermore it might look a wee bit silly for some. Drinking of the following liquids makes the burning worse: water, beer or any other fizzy drink. Although tempting to let your partner know that you really need that beer to cool down it does not work, find another excuse to drink. The reason for this is that these liquids will open up your taste butts and worsen the sensation of the capsaicin, the working ingredient in the chilli. What is the hottest part of a chilli? The hottest part of the chilli is the flesh (called the placenta) around the seeds and the seeds itself. Although the flesh is the hottest part with the highest concentration of capsaicin. Common reaction after eating chillies Sweating (like a ....) Light on your legs, wobbly. (Like using drugs, or so some customers told us) Hard to breath Scratching the back of your head Hiccups Runny nose If you eat too much you might experiencing the following: Collapsed throat or hard to breath.

Some would like to make love to their partner due to the euphoric sensation of the endorphins kicking in. Why is chilli so addictive? At the moment you eat chillies your body wants to cool you down and take away the pain caused by the capsaicin in the chilli. Your brain starts to produce endorphins, which is a natural painkiller. And as soon as they kick in you will feel and experience a nice endorphin rush and euphoria. The natural high, this is the main reason you always want more chilli! You will experience the same sensation with sports e.g. jogging. But to my opinion eating chillies is easier and it saves you the hassle of running down the street. How can I spice up my chillies? Cook them and eat them hot. A cooked up chilli will releases the oils and therefore expand its heat. Thus making the sensation hotter. Add salt to your batch of chillies this will draw the oils out of the chilli and therefore make your chilli hotter. Also you can use white vinegar, grounded pepper, ginger or garlic to boost the heat in the chilli. Or worse, make a deadly cocktail with the lot.

If this is still not hot enough try to use these artificial boosters: concentrated oils or get (battery?) acid! We do not recommend this; we prefer the natural taste and heat of our chillies. So do not try this at home please. How do you spell chilli, chili, chile & Chile? There are a few different ways of spelling the word chilli. It all depends on where you live. In USA it is referred to as chile or pepper. Chile is originally Spanish spelling. In Australia we spell it as chilli. In UK/Europe it is again spelled differend and looses an l and spelled as chili. (as a reference to Chili con Carne?) Christopher Columbus misnamed the chilli to pepper because he thought it was from the same genus/family as black pepper and therefore the confusion: pepper, chilli, chili (con carne) chile & Chile (Country in South America), paprika, capsicum (the Australian word for paprika and pronounced as kap-si-kum) capsaicin (working ingredient in chilli which causes the heat/pain and pronounced as Kap-say-kin.). So therefore there is no rights or wrong spelling of the word chilli just region dependent.

As we say in Australia: No worries mate, she'll be right! How can I preserve my chillies? We get a lot of questions from our customers who grow their own chillies of how to preserve the harvest? There are a few ways of preserving your chillies. You can put the chillies in an airtight container or plastic bag in the fridge, this way they will last for a few weeks. Freeze your chillies, as suggested above, and they will last a few months. Put the chillies in vinegar, which is a natural preservative. Keep product out of the sun and put it in your pantry, this way it will last you for a couple of years. Or put your chillies in oil same as the vinegar. Hang them to dry. Also very nice as a decoration or create your own chilli earring. Chillies with a thick skin are hard to dry (they get mould in them before they are dried) therefore these are smoked to preserve them. This is mainly done with the jalapeno chilli. (A smoked jalapeno chilli is called a chipotle chilli) Make sauces or chutneys, but leave that up to the experts please..

The higher the capsaicin level in a chilli the better it preserves. Capsaicin is a natural preservative and therefore the hotter the chilli the better it keeps. What is the shelf life of your products? The shelf life of our product is 2 years. However DO NOT put products in direct sunlight (dark pantry or cabinet!) Please refrigerate the product after opening. After opening the tomato-based chilli sauces and chutney's will keep for a minimum of 2 months in the refrigerator. These are the tomato-based sauces/chutney's: Fiery Frillneck hiss, Outback storm and Kangaroo punch. All other products will keep for at least 3 months++ in the refrigerator. The extremely hot Turbo Supercharge, Bushfire burn and Dragon's blood even 12 months. (Just make sure to use a clean spoon to get the paste out of the jar!) A few general warnings Whenever you are preparing fresh chillies make sure that you wash your hands before you go to the toilet and also afterwards offcourse! We strongly recommend gloves while preparing fresh habanero chillies (or picking and harvesting them). We also recommend wearing a safety helmet and goggles as well!!

Be careful for the fumes coming out of the pots when using fresh chillies in any stir-fry or other cooking. Memory Lane of the Chilli A brief history of the chilli over the past few thousand years .. The chilli originates from South America where it has been used, grown and loved for the past few thousand of years. Mostly grown in the wild and later slowly cultivated. The only reason that we, the rest of the world, also know them is that Columbus tried to reach India and its herbs and spices via a different route. A few (500) years ago Portugal was having a monopoly in pepper trade, which was at that time the most precious spice in the world! To break that monopoly and also because the King of Spain got fed up with the Portuguese he sent Columbus to look and find a western route to the spices of India. He discovered (South) America and brought some chillies home. And because he thought he had found a different route to India he called these chillies peppers believing them to be related to the plant, which produces black pepper. .. and with that he started the confusion about the naming of the chilli. Also see How do you spell chilli, chili, chile & Chile?

After introducing the chilli in Spain the spreading of the chilli over the rest of the world (Eastern Europe, Africa and ofcourse Asia) went very fast because everybody loved the flavour of the mild to wild tasting pepper. Today the chilli has become an essential part of cooking all over the world. And therefore Chillies are the most popular spice in the world, from mild to wild! Chilli and what does it mean? A short list of some of the main/important chilli terms used and abused. Adobo sauce Tomato based sauce mainly used with a chipotle chilli Aji South American term for chilli Capsicum Family name for chilli. A kind of class having common characteristics. In Australia used as other word for paprika pepper which is the same family as the chilli. Chilli Anything consisting of the capsicum plant or the fruit from the plant. Capsicum is the name for the capsicum plant Chipotle Smoking any chilli to preserve it. This is then called chipotle chilli. Most of the times the chilli used for this are the Jalapeno chilli because of its thick skin.

(Normal drying will make it rot...that's why smoking is a better way) Best way to smoke is with hickory wood to give that distinctive flavour to your chilli. Capsaicin The working ingredient that gives the chilli its heat. Be careful how to pronounce otherwise it will sound like capsicum. Kap-say-kin. Paprika Any non-pungent (non heat) chilli. E.g. capsicum (Australia) / Paprika pepper (rest of the World). Piripiri, piri-piri (molho de piri-piri) Piripiri is Swahilli for Chilli (meaning pepper, pepper). Originally brought back to Europe by Columbus it was introduced into the Portugees colonies of Angola and Mozambique. There it was cultivated and grown extensively and named by the locals Piripiri. From there it made its way back to Portugeese cuisine but kept its newly received name. Pungency This is the heat in a chilli Ristra This is a long string of (dried) whole chillies and is manly used for storage or to decorate your home with. A good way of preserving the chillies with the thinner skin types. Need Help?

Episode 7: The Truth About Chilli | Food Investigators on SBS Episode 7: The Truth About Chilli Curious about chilli? Here are four things you might not know about this native South American fruit: 1. Chilli sits alongside capsicum, potato, eggplant, tomato and tobacco in the solanaceae or “nightshade” family. 2. One gene differentiates the sweet capsicum from chilli. It is a chemical called capsaicin which is responsible for the sensation of heat. 3. Christopher Columbus introduced chilli to Europe in the 15th century. His physician wrote of chillis’ medicinal effects in 1494. 4. Chilli is eaten daily by one third of the world’s population. Chilli – A ‘Miracle’ Spice Although chilli is packed with vitamin C, fibre, potassium and some B group vitamins it is eaten in such small quantities that its overall nutritional contribution is usually minor. But researchers believe the capsaicin in chillis could be of enormous medicinal benefit. Capsaicin is thought to: 1. Stave off colds. The capsaicin opens the nasal passages, easing congestion. 2.

Increase the metabolic rate, helping burn calories. 3. Reduce cholesterol and fight high blood pressure. 4. Assist sound sleep. Capsaicin is thought to influence brain receptors which control sleep cycles. 5. Relieve arthritis pain when applied via topical cream. 6. Possibly kill cancer cells. Scientists are currently investigating. Capsaicin is responsible for stimulating the sensors on the tongue which detect heat and pain, tricking the brain into thinking the tongue is on fire! How Hot? The hottest part of a chilli is the flesh around the seeds as well as the seeds themselves. The flesh has the greatest concentration of the chemical capsaicin. There are hundreds of different types of chillis – with varying colours, shapes, sizes, flavours and heat intensities. The American chemist Wilbur Scoville devised a test for rating the hotness of chillis in 1912. His test – now referred to as the Scoville scale – measures the capsaicin content in different chilli varieties. See the Scoville scale on Wikipedia . Some of the chillis grown in Australia include bells, birdseye, cayenne, habanero, horn and jalapeno.

What to do when chilli is too hot! Drink milk, not water. Water will rinse the chilli itself away but will leave capsaicin hooked on nerve endings. However the casein in milk (and other dairy products) will strip the capsaicin from the tongue. That is why hot spicy dishes are often served with yoghurt or sour cream. How to store chilli at home Chillis placed in an airtight container should last a few weeks in the fridge or several months in the freezer. Alternatively chilli can be preserved in vinegar and stored in the pantry (away from sunlight) for a couple of years. What Part of the Chili Pepper Is Hottest? | eHow What Part of the Chili Pepper Is Hottest?  Email Save Chefs love the variety of flavors the chili pepper can add to an entree. Chili peppers allow you to spice up any dish. The heat from the pepper comes from capsaicin, a natural compound in the pepper. History Herbs and peppers have been used to add flavor to foods for centuries. It was Wibur Scoville who determined a way to measure the heat of a pepper.

Scoville found that by adding sugar to the pepper juice, the heat is taken away. Peppers are measured by how much sugar is needed to no longer feel the burn of the pepper in the mouth. The Scoville scale starts at zero, the bell pepper, and goes up to 923,000 units, the Dorset Naga pepper. Misconceptions The seeds are not what makes the pepper hot. While the capsaicin is present in all parts of the pepper, it is concentrated mainly in the membrane. Removing the seeds and as much of the white membrane as possible can alleviate some of the heat of the pepper. Effects The capsaicin in the pepper can actually cause blisters on the skin. Drinking water only solves the heat issue for a second or two--capsaicin is an oil, and oil does not mix with water. The best way to stop the burning is to drink milk or eat yogurt. The milk can help trap the capsaicin and pull it away from the tissue. Considerations There are medical benefits to capsaicin. Studies show certain cancer cells die when exposed to this highly volatile substance. Another benefit is how capsaicin reacts in the body.

This compound makes the body release endorphins. Endorphins are the body's way of fighting pain. There are many pain remedies that contain capsaicin. Warning When handling any hot pepper, it is advisable to use gloves. If gloves are not available, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly before touching anything else. A simple scratching of the eye lid can become a painful event if there is capsaicin on your hands.

Question: Which part of the chilli is the hottest?
Answer: Seed