{"id":2335,"date":"2021-10-06T19:45:24","date_gmt":"2021-10-06T19:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ultimatehealthreport.com\/a-visual-guide-to-peppers\/"},"modified":"2021-10-06T19:45:24","modified_gmt":"2021-10-06T19:45:24","slug":"a-visual-guide-to-peppers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ultimatehealthreport.com\/a-visual-guide-to-peppers\/","title":{"rendered":"A Visual Guide to Peppers"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Eating spicy food is a lot like running a marathon. They both hurt while you\u2019re doing them, and the next day can be pretty painful, too. You have to fight the urge to quit. Crying is par for the course. Yet you persevere, all the while knowing that you\u2019re going to sign up for the same suffering again in the future.<\/p>\n

The world is cuckoo for chilis. Restaurants compete to have the spiciest wings, hottest chili, and most tear-inducing sushi. Competitors on television shows and YouTube series sear the inside of their mouths for our viewing pleasure. Self-proclaimed pepper-heads are always working to bring hotter and hotter peppers to market.<\/strong> In fact, the most tongue-blistering varieties we have now\u2014<\/span>ones with ominous names like the Carolina Reaper and Trinidad Scorpion\u2014<\/span>didn\u2019t evolve naturally. They are the result of systematic crossbreeding designed to create chilis so packed with heat that only the bravest (or most foolhardy, depending on your point of view) would dare try them.<\/p>\n

Eating spicy foods satisfies the deeply ingrained human need to test our limits and see how much discomfort we can take. That\u2019s not the only reason we\u2019re drawn to spicy foods, though. The pain they cause seems to stimulate the release of endorphins, part of the body\u2019s endogenous opioid system, which accounts for why spicy foods \u201churt so good\u201d instead of just plain hurting. Capsaicin, the chemical in hot peppers that imparts the characteristic burning sensation, is anti-inflammatory and has numerous health benefits. <\/p>\n

Can you feel the burn?<\/p>\n

Chili, Pepper, Chili Pepper: What\u2019s the Difference?<\/h2>\n

Sometimes the English language is unnecessarily confusing. This is one of those times.<\/p>\n

Chilis all belong to the genus Capsicum, while peppers are a separate plant belonging to the genus Piper. The black pepper and white pepper on your spice rack are Pipers. However, the cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes next to them are Capsicums, as are bell peppers and all the fruits (yes, fruits) we lump into the category of \u201cchili peppers.\u201d Also, chili, chile, and chilli are all acceptable spellings for members of the Capsicum genus depending on where you live.<\/p>\n

Confused yet? Sorry about that, but don\u2019t fret. The difference only matters if you\u2019re a botanist or you\u2019ve been cornered by an incredibly pedantic foodie at a party. For common usage, feel free to use the terms chili (chile), pepper, and chili pepper interchangeably.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is the Scoville Scale?<\/h2>\n

The Scoville Scale describes how hot a given pepper is using a unit of measure called Scoville Heat Units, or SHU.<\/p>\n

In the original method for rating peppers, developed by the eponymous pharmacist and researcher Wilbur Scoville, a panel of tasters judge the heat level of different peppers. Today, food scientists employ high-performance liquid chromatography to measure how many capsaicinoid compounds a pepper contains, but human tasters still provide subjective ratings and validate the results.<\/p>\n

Bell peppers rate a 0 on the scale. There is no upper limit. Currently, the hottest known pepper on the planet, the mysterious sounding Pepper X, claims to clock in at more than three million SHU<\/strong>. That would make it 600 times hotter than the average jalape\u00f1o!<\/p>\n

Hot Pepper Safety<\/h2>\n

Capsaicin is an oily substance that can burn your skin and mucous membranes if you aren\u2019t careful. The best way to avoid chili burns is:<\/p>\n

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  • Always wear gloves when cutting hot peppers.<\/li>\n
  • Never touch your eyes when cooking with chilis.<\/li>\n
  • Wash your hands with dish soap immediately after handling hot peppers.<\/li>\n
  • Be careful not to inhale dried and ground (powdered) chili peppers. Chefs who work with the chilis at the top of the Scoville scale will even wear respirators!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    If you forget the gloves and your hands feel like they are on fire, try washing them with rubbing alcohol, vodka, vinegar, baking soda, and\/or dish soap. Each of these substances can neutralize and wash away the capsaicin.<\/p>\n

    The casein in dairy products can help, too. Drinking milk or eating yogurt will ease the pain in your mouth. You can also dunk your burning hands in milk if washing them hasn\u2019t helped. However, should you be so unlucky as to touch your eyes with chili hands, the only solution is to flush them thoroughly with water.<\/p>\n

    Ultimately, though, the best course of action is prevention. Once you\u2019ve burned yourself, these remedies are only going to provide moderate relief. You\u2019ll still have to live with the pain for a while.<\/p>\n

    10 Types of Chili Peppers You Should Know<\/h2>\n

    Variety is the spice of life. When it comes to culinary delight, one of the most fun\u2014and potentially most painful ways\u2014to mix it up in the kitchen is by experimenting with the spice level of your food. Here are some chilis you might want to try.<\/p>\n

    1. Jalape\u00f1o Peppers<\/h3>\n

    \"\"<\/h4>\n

    Also known as:<\/h4>\n

    Chipotle pepper (when smoked and dried), chile gordo (\u201cfat chili\u201d)<\/p>\n

    How hot are jalape\u00f1o peppers?<\/h4>\n

    2,500 \u2013 8,000 SHU<\/p>\n

    Jalape\u00f1o facts:<\/h4>\n