Five Species
There are five domesticated species of Chilli Peppers: Capsicum annuum (includes many common varieties such as bell peppers, wax, cayenne, jalapeños, Thai peppers, chiltepin, and all forms of New Mexico chile); Capsicum frutescens(includes malagueta, tabasco, piri piri, and Malawian Kambuzi); Capsicum chinense (includes the hottest peppers such as the naga, habanero, Datil and Scotch bonnet); Capsicum pubescens (includes the South American rocoto peppers); and Capsicum baccatum (includes the South American aji peppers).
Origin
Chilli peppers are believed to have originated from somewhere in Central or South America and were first cultivated in Mexico. After Columbus had discovered America, the species spread around the world where it was used both for food as for traditional medicine.
Cause of the Hotness?
The “hot” in hot peppers is due to capsaicin, a colourless, odourless oil-like compound found in the fruit of the plant. The compound binds with pain receptors in our tissue, causing a burning sensation. Research indicates that the chemical is most likely produced to prevent insect damage and fungal growth within the peppers.
Where is the Epicenter?
The highest concentration of capsaicin in peppers is within the placenta or “pith” portion of the flesh. This is the membrane that suspends the seeds inside of the pepper. As a result, removing the seeds is often recommended when cooking to reduce the spiciness of a dish.
Hot to Stop the Heat?
The 3 best methods for reducing spicy burning in the mouth and lips. A) Drink dairy milk. No milk? Try any dairy, like ice cream or yogurt. The compound “casein” in dairy products binds with capsaicin (the spicy molecule) and helps reduce the burn. B) Coat your mouth with olive oil. This may seem odd, but capsaicin is an oil-based compound that repels water. This means that water will only spread the burn around your mouth. Instead, try swishing a small amount of oil in your mouth and either spitting it out or swallowing it. C) Eat bread. This doesn’t work as well as drinking milk, but it can help relieve some burn in the mouth and can also help reduce stomach discomfort (especially when consumed before eating spicy food). Tip: Avoid getting pepper juices on your lips. This can be more painful and more difficult to cure than heat on the tongue.
The Hottest
The hotness in peppers is typically measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). According to the Guiness Book of Records (2023), the hottest pepper at the moment is ‘Pepper X’ with an average of 2.69 million Scoville Units and peaks over 3 million SHU.
For comparison, the jalapeño – which is more than spicy enough for most people – clocks in at 10,000 SHU at most, and the habanero, which hits the tolerance limits of most people, is “only” 350,000. If Pepper X is too mild for you, no worries, there is constant breeding underway to create even hotter peppers.
There are some contenders (but not yet officially verified by Guinness BoR) with over 3 million SHU.
Measuring Heat
The Scoville Heat Unit scale was invented by a pharmacist named Wilbur Scoville (1865-1942). He devised the test in 1912 while working at a pharmaceutical company to measure pungency, “spiciness” or “capsaicin” of various chilli peppers.
Chilli Peppers Are Better for you Than Oranges
Most people know that oranges are high in vitamin C, and a great way to get over a cold. But perhaps we should be throwing hot chillies in our juice instead. Where oranges have an average amount of 53 mg of vitamin C per 100 gr., the same amount of chilli peppers can boast up to 140-240 mg of vitamin C”.
Pain Reliever
The initial sensation from contacting capsaicin is burning, however, the chemical compound is actually an analgesic. This means that capsaicin acts to relieve pain on a biological level. This is why many capsaicin creams and gels are now available for those suffering from various conditions.
First Aid Help
Studies show that cayenne pepper extract is effective as an anticoagulant agent in human blood. It slows the blood that is pumped out of a wound and will help it coagulate more quickly. It is more effective at sealing a wound than a bandage.
Chipotle and Jalapeño are the Same Thing
Ever wonder what the difference is between these two ingredients? The answer is: nothing. Well, they do taste different, because chipotle is manufactured by humans, but the underlying ingredient – the pepper itself – is the same. A chipotle is just a smoke-dried jalapeño.
Global Production
In 2020, world production of Chillies and peppers was 36.1 million tonnes, with China accounting for almost half of the total (Source: FAOSTAT).
| The World Leaders in Chillies and Pepper Production (2020) | |
| Numbers in Million tonnes | |
| China | 16.7 |
| USA | 2.8 |
| Japan | 2.8 |
| Turkey | 2.6 |
| Spain | 1.5 |
| World | 36.1 |
Russian Roulette Pepper
The Japanese Shishito pepper is not always hot. Only about one out of every 10 to 20 peppers is spicy.
The occurrence of spicy fruit is induced by factors such as exposure to sunlight, and other environmental stresses.
According to research, capsaicin forms more easily in hot and dry conditions in the summer.
Pepper Spray
Law-enforcement-grade pepper spray, values from 500,000 up to 5 million SHU but the actual strength of the spray depends on the dilution. It is an inflammatory agent that will immediately cause coughing, choking and nausea. It will also dilate the capillaries of the eyes causing temporary blindness. The mucous membranes will swell to the point of cutting off all but life support breathing, causing intense burning and an assailant to be temporarily incapacitated.
Birds Are Immune to the Heat of Chilli
Capsaicin, which makes the peppers hot only affects mammals. Birds, slugs, and other animals are completely immune. From a survival perspective this makes sense because birds need to spread the seeds so deterring them would be bad for survival.
