CONCEPT 32: CHILE HEAT RESIDES IN THE PITH AND SEEDS

Question 1

Besides heat, what can chiles add to a dish?

Answer 1

Depth and complexity.

Question 2

What two basic forms are chiles sold in?

Answer 2

Fresh and dried.

Question 3

As with bell peppers, green chiles are pick before they are _______.

Answer 3

Ripe

Question 4

Red, orange and yellow chiles are picked when they’re fully ________.

Answer 4

Matured

Question 5

What colors are dried chiles?

Answer 5

Red, brown and black.

Question 6

When are dried chiles generally picked?

Answer 6

When they’re fully ripe.

Question 7

Which chiles tend to have more concentrated flavor, fresh or dried?

Answer 7

Dried

Question 8

Chiles get their heat from a group of chemical compounds called _________.

Answer 8

Capsaicinoids

Question 9

The best known capsaicinoid is _______.

Answer 9

Capsaicin

Question 10

Most of the capsaicin is concentrated where?

Answer 10

The inner whitish pith, with progressively smaller amounts in the seeds and flesh.

Question 11

What are the effects of capsaicin on the mouth?

Answer 11

Can cause painful burning on the tongue and a short lived inflammation of the mouth.

Question 12

Chemesthesis is the perception of ______, _______ and _______.

Answer 12

Pain, touch, heat.

Question 13

Are some chile varieties 10 to 100 times hotter than others?

Answer 13

Yes

Question 14

Can the same variety produce specimens with a wide range of heat levels?

Answer 14

Yes

Question 15

How do climate conditions affect capsaicin?

Answer 15

Chiles grown in sunny, arid weather undergo a lot of stress, and stressed chiles produce more capsaicin than chiles grown in temperate climates.

Question 16

Two compounds responsible for a majority of chile heat.

Answer 16

Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin.

Question 17

The measure of heat is also called what?

Answer 17

Pungency.

Question 18

Rating for the heat of chile peppers.

Answer 18

Scoville units

Question 19

How were Scoville units traditionally detected?

Answer 19

Extracting the compound that produces chile heat with alcohol and adding it in tiny drops to a sugar solution until the heat is just detectable by sensory panelists; more sophisticated analytical instruments are used today.

Question 20

Does appearance have anything to do with chile heat? Explain.

Answer 20

No, small chiles have no more heat than larger ones.

Question 21

Does “corking” indicate chile heat?

Answer 21

No

Question 22

What is “corking?”

Answer 22

The white striations visible on the skin of some chiles.

Question 23

Are serranos generally hotter than jalapeños?

Answer 23

Yes, but heat levels will still vary considerably.

Question 24

If capsaicin is produced mainly in the membranes/ribs, how do seeds let off some heat?

Answer 24

The seeds absorb capsaicin from the ribs because they are embedded in the pith.

Question 25

TEST KITCHEN: CAPSAICIN IN SKIN, SEEDS AND PITH.

Answer 25

5 milligrams per kilogram of green jalapeño flesh; 73 milligrams per kg in seeds; 512 milligrams per kg in pith.

Question 26

How do you remove seeds from dried chiles? Should you reserve them?

Answer 26

Break off the stem to open up the chiles and brush out any seeds. Dried chiles are generally quite intense; don't usually reserve the seeds. 

Question 27

How do you know if a chile is good quality?

Answer 27

Tight, unblemished skin and flesh that's firm to the touch.

Question 28

Pablano appearance.

Answer 28

Large, triangular; green to red-brown.

Question 29

Pablano flavor.

Answer 29

Crisp, vegetal.

Question 30

Pablano heat.

Answer 30

1,000 - 2,000 Scoville units.

Question 31

Pablano substitutions.

Answer 31

Anaheim, bell pepper.

Question 32

Anaheim appearance.

Answer 32

Large, long, skinny; yellow-green to red.

Question 33

Anaheim flavor.

Answer 33

Mildly tangy, vegetal.

Question 34

Anaheim heat.

Answer 34

500 - 2,500 Scoville units

Question 35

Anaheim substitution.

Answer 35

Pablano

Question 36

Jalapeño appearance.

Answer 36

Small, smooth, shiny; green or red.

Question 37

Jalapeño flavor.

Answer 37

Bright, grassy.

Question 38

Jalapeño heat.

Answer 38

2,500 - 8,000 Scoville units

Question 39

Jalapeño substitution.

Answer 39

Serrano

Question 40

Serrano appearance.

Answer 40

Small; dark green.

Question 41

Serrano flavor.

Answer 41

Bright, citrusy.

Question 42

Serrano heat.

Answer 42

5,000 - 23,000 Scoville units

Question 43

Serrano substitution.

Answer 43

Jalapeño

Question 44

Bird's eye appearance.

Answer 44

Narrow and petite; bright red.

Question 45

Bird's eye flavor.

Answer 45

Rich, fruity.

Question 46

Bird's eye heat.

Answer 46

100,000 - 250,000 Scoville units.

Question 47

Bird's eye substitution.

Answer 47

Serrano

Question 48

Habanero appearance.

Answer 48

Bulbous; bright orange to red.

Question 49

Habanero flavor.

Answer 49

Deeply floral, fruity.

Question 50

Habanero heat.

Answer 50

100,000 to 350,000 Scoville units

Question 51

Habanero substitution.

Answer 51

Double dose of Thai Bird's eye.

Question 52

Why do many chiles taste sweeter dried than fresh?

Answer 52

They're allowed to mature on the plant.

Question 53

Characteristics of a good dried chile.

Answer 53

Pliable and smell slightlty fruity.

Question 54

Do chiles gain more intense character just as dried fruit has more concentrated taste than its fresh counterpart?

Answer 54

Yes

Question 55

Ancho appearance.

Answer 55

Wrinkly; dark red.

Question 56

Fresh origin for Ancho.

Answer 56

Pablano

Question 57

Ancho flavor

Answer 57

Rich, raisiny sweetness.

Question 58

Ancho substitute.

Answer 58

Mulato

Question 59

Mulato appearance.

Answer 59

Wrinkly; deep brown.

Question 60

Fresh origin of Mulato.

Answer 60

A type of pablano.

Question 61

Mulato flavor.

Answer 61

Very smoky, with hints of licorice and dried cherries.

Question 62

Multo substitutions.

Answer 62

Ancho

Question 63

Chipotle appearance.

Answer 63

Wrinkly; brownish-red.

Question 64

Chipotle flavor.

Answer 64

Smoky, chocolaty, with tobacco-like sweetness.

Question 65

Fresh origin of Chipotle.

Answer 65

Smoked-dried jalapeño.

Question 66

Chipotle substitution.

Answer 66

None

Question 67

Cascabel appearance.

Answer 67

Small, round; reddish-brown.

Question 68

Cascabel chile is also known as what?

Answer 68

Rattle chile

Question 69

Cascabel flavor.

Answer 69

Nutty, woodsy.

Question 70

Cascabel heat.

Answer 70

1,500 - 2,500 Scoville units.

Question 71

Fresh cascabel are also known as what?

Answer 71

Bola chile or chile bola.

Question 72

Cascabel substitution.

Answer 72

New Mexican

Question 73

New Mexican appearance.

Answer 73

Smooth; brock red.

Question 74

New Mexican flavor.

Answer 74

Slightly acidic, earthy.

Question 75

Fresh origin of New Mexican chile.

Answer 75

California or Anaheim chile.

Question 76

New Mexican heat.

Answer 76

5,000 - 2,500 Scoville units

Question 77

Arbol appearance.

Answer 77

Small, round; deep red.

Question 78

Arbol flavor.

Answer 78

Bright, citrusy.

Question 79

Arbol heat.

Answer 79

15,000 - 30,000 Scoville units.

Question 80

Arbol substitutions.

Answer 80

Pequin

Question 81

Chile do árbol is also called what?

Answer 81

Bird's beak or rat's tail chile.

Question 82

Pequin appearance.

Answer 82

Small, round; deep red.

Question 83

Pequin flavor.

Answer 83

Bright, citrusy.

Question 84

Pequin substitutions.

Answer 84

Arbol

Question 85

Pequin heat

Answer 85

40,000 - 58,000 Scoville units.

Question 86

Pequin substitute.

Answer 86

Arbol

Question 87

When cooking white chicken chili (as opposed to red), why are flavor like chiles, herbs and spices more prominent?

Answer 87

No tomatoes to mask other flavors.

Question 88

The best way to keep chiles fresh for weeks. How long will they last?

Answer 88

In a brine they will keep their texture, color and bright heat for several weeks; give them a quick rinse to wash off excess brine.

Question 89

Do fresh chiles like jalapeños and serranos and a short shelf life?

Answer 89

Yes

Question 90

How much salt should you brine chiles in?

Answer 90

1 tbps of salt per cup.

Question 91

How long did brined chiles take to soften.

Answer 91

1 month, but were still perfectly usable in cooked applications for several more weeks.

Question 92

1 dried arbol chile can be replaced with how much cayenne pepper?

Answer 92

1/8 teaspoon.

Question 93

Since flour and peanut butter didn't perform as promised, what thickener was used for the ultimate beef chile?

Answer 93

Cornmeal

Question 94

Instead of prunes and Coca-Cola, what was used to balance sweetness in the chili?

Answer 94

Molasses

Question 95

Should you freeze fresh chiles?

Answer 95

No