- In 1521, the conquest of Mexico by Hernando Cortes introduced the indigenous
- cultures of Mexico (the Aztecs, Mayans and Toltecs) to domesticated animals and
- dairy products. In return, Mexicos native cultures enlightened the taste buds of
- their European conquerors with avocados, corn, tomatoes, peppers (60 different
- species), beans and chocolate! From this synthesis of cultures and a Country
- whose geography dictates it's culinary appetite, Mexican Cuisine as we know it
- today was born.
-
- Starting with this newsletter each month we will spotlight a different recipe you can make at home. We hope you enjoy this new monthly segment.
The chile pepper is one of the defining ingredients in much of Mexican food. There are over 140 varieties of chiles that range from fiery, brow sweating hot to mild. It is the natural oil of capsaicin that delivers the heat we feel when we eat a chile pepper. The capsaicin is found in the membranes and the seeds of the chiles. For those looking to tame the kick in fresh chiles you can remove the seeds and membranes of the chile for a milder bite. However, this will not work for the dried chile because as the chile dries the capsaicin spreads through out the chile. If it is too late and you need to seek relief from the scorching offender reach for some milk, cheese or any thing dairy or better yet a little alcohol and that will dissolve the capsaicin and simmer the taste buds. Don't drink water because it will only further spread the insoluble oil through out the rest of your mouth.
In 1912, chemist Wilbur Scoville developed the Scoville Heat Units (SHU) which measures the hotness of a chile. The following chart shows what the heat scale is for some of the most popular chiles.
|
Scoville Units |
Chile Varieties and Commercial Products |
|
15,000,000-16,000,000 |
Pure Capsaicin |
|
100,000-500,000 |
Habanero, Scotch Bonnet, |
|
30,000-50,000 |
Piquin, Cayenne Long, Tabasco |
|
15,000-30,000 |
de Arbol, Crushed Red Pepper, Habanero Hot Sauce |
|
5,000-15,000 |
Early Jalapeño, Serrano, Tabasco® Sauce |
|
5,000-6,000 |
Chipotle |
|
3,000-5,000 |
Ancho |
|
2,500-5,000 |
Guajillo, Mild Jalapeño, Cayenne Large Thick, Louisiana hot sauce |
|
2,000-3,000 |
Anaheim (New Mexico) |
|
1,500-2,500 |
Sandia, Cascabel, Yellow Wax Hot |
|
1,000-1,500 |
Poblano, Pasilla |
|
500-1000 |
chili powder |
|
100-500 |
Cherry; Hungarian hot paprika |
|
10-100 |
Pickled pepperoncini |
|
0 |
Mild Bells, Pimiento, |
Chile peppers do more than just set your mouth on fire. Studies have shown that eating chiles can help with digestion, arthritis, depression and sinusitis. And, at Ay! Caramba we have had several customers who have undergone chemotherapy for cancer who swear that our enchilada sauce made from the guajillo chile is the only thing that helped the nausea they experienced during their treatment.
This month we are featuring Ira's recipe for Pico de Gallo, our chopped vegetable salsa that uses the Serrano chile pepper (SHU 5,000-15,000). Enjoy! |
