Is there anything more welcome on a cold winter day than a bowl of chili? Red or white, vegetarian or with meat, it warms from the inside out.
Columbus introduced chiles to the Old World upon returning from his 1492 voyage. By 1600 they were known around the globe. Today they are the most widely-consumed spice by a huge margin.
Capsaicin is the source of the heat in chiles. It triggers the release of endorphins which are natural pain relievers. Folks vary in their appreciation of chiles. There are “super tasters” who have roughly double the number of taste buds as an average person. They really cannot take the heat. Then there are “non-tasters” who have half the usual complement of taste buds and truly don’t understand what most of us experience.
The Scoville Scale, developed by pharmacist Wilbur Scoville in 1912, rates the capsaicin level in chiles. A bell pepper weighs in at zero. Jalapeno measures 2,500 to 8,000 ,considered medium hot, while cayenne is a very hot 50,000. Believe it or not, there is a chart-topping pepper that rates 1,000,000! The dangerously hot Bhut Jolokia comes from Assam, India, where its name means Ghost Pepper. I have found several seed catalogs that include the SHU (Scoville heat units) for their offerings.
Capsaicin is contained in the tissue surrounding the seeds. It is not water soluble. I wear gloves while preparing hotter varieties of peppers. Dried peppers have the same amount of capsaicin as fresh. They have a more complex flavor profile because the sugars are caramelized in the drying process. It’s a good idea to soak dried chiles for about 20 minutes before adding them to a dish. Chiles contain vitamins A and C, beta carotene, potassium and quercetin, an antioxidant. Fresh peppers freeze well in sealed freezer bags.
Typically other herbs are used with chiles in cooking. In fact “chili powder” is a spice blend. Cayenne is pure pepper. Aromatic oregano complements chiles, especially if tomatoes are in the recipe. Cumin is often added in the same proportion as oregano for a pungent note. Coriander adds a sweet spiciness. If you like it (many do not), cilantro adds a spicy astringent flavor.
Come spring area garden centers carry a nice variety of chiles. For those who want to try a small selection, this would make a great container garden. Those with larger gardens might like to start chiles from seed.
Peppers want warm weather. The seeds need to be started indoors 8 to 10 weeks before transplanting. Germination requires soil temps of 70 to 90 degrees depending on variety. Allow 2 to 4 weeks for germination. Plan to place pepper plants in the garden when daytime highs are consistently in the 70s and nights are warmer than 55 degrees.
In my California hometown, chili is a side dish served with grilled meat along with green salad and crusty sourdough bread. King City pinks are the bean of choice. Being in the business, Dad had a source of these rather rare little beans. I confess that I’ve become fond of milder white chili over the past few years. Maybe I’ll stage a small-scale chili cookoff the next time we get together with friends.
Incidentally, National Chili Day is the fourth Thursday in February.
Master gardener Ann Bartlett never lets lack of familiarity with a plant stop her from trying it in the ornamental beds surrounding her home.
