How Hot Do You Like It? - NS4Sale

ftp1000 · 05-15-2007, 02:05 PM

Chile Pepper Heat Scoville Scale

Wondering how to rate the heat level of various types of chile peppers? Peppers are rated based on Scoville Units, a method developed by Wilbur Scoville in 1912. The original method used human tasters to evaluate how many parts of sugar water it takes to neutralize the heat. Nowadays human tasters are spared and a new process called HPLC, or High Performance Liquid Chromotography measures the amount of capsaicinoids (capsaicin) in parts per million. Capsaicin is the compound that gives chiles their heat. The chart below rates chile peppers, with 0 being mildest and 10 highest heat.

Quote:

"Are hot peppers bad for you? Proably not, according to recent studies. A common concern is that hot peppers or other spicy foods cause ulcers, but there's no evidence that they do. Studies of areas where hot peppers are used extensively in cooking, such as Brazil and Thailand, have found no higher incidence of stomach ulcers among their populations. And in a study conducted at a Veterans Administration hospital, researchers ground up about an ounce of jalapeno pepper and injected it directly into the stomachs of volunteers. Follow-up observation showed no damage to their stomach linings. Nor do hot peppers aggravate or cause hemorrhoids, as has often been claimed, since capsaicinoids...are broken down before they reach the lower intenstine.

"Actually, evidence has shown that peppers may have some beneficial properties. Capsaicin--the predominant capsaicinoid--has been found to work as an anticoagulant, thus possibly helping prevent heart attacks or strokes caused by blood clot. Small amounts of capsaicin can produce numbing of the skin and have a slight anti-inflammatory effect. In some countries, peppers are used in salves.

"Moreover, peppers are high in vitamin C, which, in turn, may be effective in protecting against cancer. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, a chemical substance capable of removing the threat from free radicals, which can cause cells to mutate.... (p.141)."

"By weight, green bell peppers have twice as much vitamin C as citrus fruit; red peppers have three times as much. Hot peppers contain even more vitamin C, 357 percent more than an orange. And red peppers are quite a good source of beta carotene... (p.136)."

Quote:

"There are several remedies for the effects of eating a pepper that is too hot for you, something that is usually discovered when it is too late. (Eventually, you can build up tolerance to the heat of peppers, and will be able to eat hotter and hotter chilis without having to resort to these cures.) Many people recommend drinking tomato juice or eating a fresh lemon or lime, the theory being that the acid counteracts the alkalinity of the capsaicin. Some people won't begin eating hot peppers without a pitcher of cold water handy, though this is not the best idea. The capsaicin, which is an oil, does not mix with the water but is instead distributed to more parts of the mouth. More useful solutions include drinking milk (rinsing the mouth with it as you sip) or eating rice or bread, which absorb the capsaicin. My own favorite retaliation against attack by hot chili pepper is to simply eat another. And if that doesn't work, eat another one.......(p.9)."

rottnpagan · 05-15-2007, 06:12 PM

Hmmmmm. I have a friend who makes TO DIE FOR deep fried jalapenos stuffed with brie. HEAVEN, I tell you, HEAVEN.

Rednecktech · 05-15-2007, 08:10 PM

Mmmm habeneros!

Another little tidbit.....
Eating the equivalent of 1 tsp of tabasco sauce/day can increase metabolism by as much as 25%!

rottnpagan · 05-15-2007, 11:30 PM

Let me tell ya, there's a BBQ sauce lurking about in Halifax that's got some OOMPH to it. Couldn't feel my lips and the tip of the tongue was dead.

That quote above is quite correct. The only thing I could keep doing was to get eating the BBQ pork.

Wicked shit!

Semicidal · 05-15-2007, 11:50 PM

I can handle a jalapeno without flinching. However, the red habeneros SUCK to even eat on a dare. It took me like half an hour to start feeling normal. One of my friends got sick from eating one (and the resultant sickness made his nose burn too.)
I will admit though that it helped with my alcohol tolerance. 3 straight shots of Smirnoff black right after the pepper, and I couldn't tell if it were vodka or water.

Elisha · 05-16-2007, 12:20 AM

i cook with Habenero and Thai peppers all the time. There's another one called Hot Jamaican Pepper that kinda looks like the Habenero and is also pretty hot but maybe not as hot.

Rednecktech · 05-16-2007, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elisha

i cook with Habenero and Thai peppers all the time. There's another one called Hot Jamaican Pepper that kinda looks like the Habenero and is also pretty hot but maybe not as hot.

That's awesome, you and I gotta get together man! lol

Just made a new batch of BBQ sauce with lots of Habanero, Thai chili peppers and maple syrup. It's the bomb! Had a bbq last week and skewered sugar snap peas, scallops, tiger prawns, fresh garlic cloves and...... Green Thai chili's! Company was in for a bit of a shock when they bit into the 1st one, screaming.... "ahhh fuck wtf did I eat????? I thought it was a fuckin pea!".

Rednecktech · 05-16-2007, 01:34 AM