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hottest types of chili |
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hottest types of chili |
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chili facts information on chilli peppers |
CHILIES THEY CAN BE RED, green, orange
or almost the colour of chocolate. They can be pointy, round, small,
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Sweet
chili A chilli that is so mild you can give it to
children. About 6-8cm long, bright yellow-lime green skin and pointed at
one end. A large chilli that
has a pale yellow colour. Unlike the smaller chillies, the sweet
chilli has a sweet yet mildly spicy flavour.
Chilli baby hot
Bright red to green skin containing
a sound seed cavity. The flesh has a crisp, strong, rich, hot flavour.
The seeds are hotter than the flesh. A very hot tiny chilli (1-2cm) whose skin colour can
range from lime yellow to orange. Most people would find it very hot
even without the seeds. Use in Thai, Chinese, Indonesian, Malaysian,
Indian or Spanish dishes.
Bell
chili red Another hot red chilli shaped more like a bell or a
granny's bonnet. Use in Asian, Indian or Mexican cooking. Bell chili green
Medium
to hot flavour in this green-skinned chilli shaped like a bell.
Excellent in pickles and hot mango chutney.
Green chili A long slender green chilli, 6-8cm long, pointed at one
end. Medium flavour is tolerated by most people who are not used to
chilli. 
Red chili Similar to green chilli but with more sting in its
flavour.
Mexican hot chili One of the hottest chillies with bright green
skin. Long (6-8cm) and pointed at one end.
Extra large chili hot or jalapeno (pronounced halapeno) One for the
masochists, this fiery hot chilli is the benchmark by which all other
chillies are judged. It comes in colours ranging from dark green to red
and is sausage shaped with a blunt end.
club-like, long, thin, globular, tapered, or shaped like a granny's
bonnet. Their skin may be shiny, smooth or wrinkled and their walls may
be thick or thin. Not all chillies are hot but don't be deceived - with only a few
exceptions, most of the several hundred varieties of these enchanting
little pods have some degree of pungency for the palate. Only a few are
as mild as their sweet cousins the capsicums. The colour of chillies is no guide to the intensity of their flavour.
Nor is the size. Yet these fiery little vegetables are utterly delicious
and an essential part of the cuisine of many parts of the world. Some
people even believe they are mildly addictive - in a nice and harmless
way. It seems that when we eat hot chillies, the body produces
endorphins - the same chemicals produced during a runner's high. Chillies belong to the same family as tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant.
They came originally from the West Indies but spread like wildfire to
India and Asia and then to North Africa and Spain. In the United States,
chilli gets only one 'L' (chili) and is often called a hot pepper.
All chillies begin life green and turn yellow or red as they ripen.
There is no rule that green or red have more heat so check the label for
clues as to the pungency of the ones you have chosen. Fresh Chillies are high in Vitamin C — twice the amount found in citrus fruits.
When dried the Vitamin A content increases as much as one hundred fold. Hot chillies e.g.
'Habanero' contain 357% more Vitamin C than an orange. Red chillies are a good source of beta carotene. The bite in chilli is called Capsaicin. Most of the capsaicin is contained in the seeds and the membrane which when removed makes the chilli
milder. The burning feeling that you are left with on your tongue is caused by the relief of Capsaicin. This causes messages to be sent to your brain to release endorphins which are your body's natural pain killer. The endorphins then give you the feeling of relief and pleasure. The release of endorphins lowers the blood pressure, a major indicator in heart disease, and has even been implicated in the fight against cancer. Chilli is mildly antibacterial and is an excellent gargle for sore throats and laryngitis. In Victorian England, chilli peppers were prized for their warming properties in treating arthritis, chills, rheumatism, sprains and depression. Chillies have been used to repel garden pests, to stop barnacles on boats, as an aphrodisiac and as a cure for sore throats and varicose ulcers. Chilli antidotes include any dairy product, milk, ice cream, yogurt, chocolate, sugar, starchy foods like bread.
CHILLIES
CONTAIN CAPSAICINS. These are peppery
compounds that can damage the eyes. Chillies produce capsaicins to avert
insects attacking them while they're ripening on their bushes. It's amazing how capsaicins get around, so always prepare chillies
wearing disposable gloves and thoroughly wash all knives, cutting boards
and anything else that comes in contact with a cut chilli. Above all,
make sure you never rub your eyes if you've been preparing any kind of
chilli and do not allow chilli to come in contact with a cut or graze as
it can burn the skin. Most of their heat is in the
seeds and the membrane. If it's your first try, or you don't like too
much heat, discard these. The seeds are particularly damaging to the
eyes, so discard them carefully if you're not eating them. CHILLIES