What is the hottest pepper you have ever eaten?

[schrodinger_hated_cats]

I grow peppers of various kinds, from mild bell peppers to insanely hot habanero varieties. I lurves me hot spicy things! :wub:

There is actually a scale, called the Scoville heat scale, that ranks peppers according to how hot they are:

15,000,000–16,000,000 Pure capsaicin

8,600,000–9,100,000 Various capsaicinoids (e.g. homocapsaicin, homodihydrocapsaicin, nordihydrocapsaicin)

5,000,000–5,300,000 Law Enforcement Grade pepper spray, FN 303 irritant ammunition

...................................................................

855,000–1,050,000 Naga Jolokia

350,000–580,000 Red Savina Habanero

100,000–350,000 Habanero chili, Scotch Bonnet Pepper, Datil pepper, Rocoto, African Birdseye, Madame Jeanette, Jamaican Hot Pepper

50,000–100,000 Thai Pepper, Malagueta Pepper, Chiltepin Pepper, Pequin Pepper

30,000–50,000 Cayenne Pepper, Ají pepper,Tabasco pepper, some Chipotle peppers, Cumari pepper (Capsicum Chinese)

10,000–23,000 Serrano Pepper, some Chipotle peppers

2,500–8,000 Jalapeño Pepper, Guajillo pepper, New Mexican varieties of Anaheim pepper, Paprika (Hungarian wax pepper)

500–2,500 Anaheim pepper, Poblano Pepper, Rocotillo Pepper

100–500 Pimento, Peperoncini

0 No heat, Bell pepper

So what is the hottest one you've eaten?

 

[missmanners]

Cayenne. For some reason serranos and jalapenos dont have any flavor to me, they just burn my mouth. But cayenne has heat and flavor and doesnt just burn.

I once bought some plants identified as only "salsa peppers" that were killers. I had to wear rubber gloves and goggles while cleaning them.


mm

 

[schrodinger_hated_cats]

Cayenne. For some reason serranos and jalapenos dont have any flavor to me, they just burn my mouth. But cayenne has heat and flavor and doesnt just burn.

I once bought some plants identified as only "salsa peppers" that were killers. I had to wear rubber gloves and goggles while cleaning them.


mm

I've got some very flavorful jalapenos in my garden... two varieties, actually. One is like a "Fooled You" variety with no heat at all, but a realy intense bell pepper flavor. The other is a pretty standard jalapeno as far as heat, but maybe the soil they grow in helped the other flavors. They seem more flavorful than store-boughts

The serranos, on the other hand, are just hot if I eat them plain but they pick up a good flavor when I grill or smoke them.

Those salsa peppers-- were they sort of lantern shaped? And what color were they? I'm curious...

 

[Loktar]

I've had Habaneros. I don't think I've had the Red Savina ones though.

 

[schrodinger_hated_cats]

I've had Habaneros. I don't think I've had the Red Savina ones though.

I grow the Red Savs in my garden, and they are really good. Intensely hot, with a very nice fruity flavor that holds for a good while before the heat kicks in. When the heat comes, it's like fireworks in your mouth. They are twice as big and up to 2-3 times hotter than regular orange habaneros. Traditionally, they're eaten red, but I tried a green one that was just starting to turn once and it was quite tasty. It had a nice fresh flavor, a hint of green bell pepper with the fruity note. The Red Savinia once held the record for the world's hottest pepper at nearly 580,000 Scoville Units, until 2007 when the Bhut Jolokia clocked in at over 1,000,000 SU.

They are definitely NOT for the faint of heart!

I eat them grilled, with chicken. I also make a mango-pineapple-lime sauce, sort of Caribbean inspired, and throw a few of them into the mix.

Here's the recipe if anyone wants to try it:

1 can of cubed pineapple with juice
2 mangoes, peeled
the juice of 4 to 6 limes
a good wad of cilantro
some ground allspice, to taste
4 Red Savina habaneros (more or less to your hotness level)-- seeds and ribs removed for texture only, but you can leave them in for more heat if you want

Process all ingredients in a food processor until the consistency of thin applesauce. Transfer to a non-aluminum 2 to 3 quart saucepan and cook on medium heat just until the sauce begins to boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer slowly until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and transfer to plastic or glass containers. Keep in fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze.

This is great with chicken, pork or fish. Use it as a grilling sauce, or with stirfry. Be careful, as this sauce can be very spicy once it's cooked and the habs blend in..

It rocks...

 

[missmanners]

I've got some very flavorful jalapenos in my garden... two varieties, actually. One is like a "Fooled You" variety with no heat at all, but a realy intense bell pepper flavor. The other is a pretty standard jalapeno as far as heat, but maybe the soil they grow in helped the other flavors. They seem more flavorful than store-boughts

The serranos, on the other hand, are just hot if I eat them plain but they pick up a good flavor when I grill or smoke them.

Those salsa peppers-- were they sort of lantern shaped? And what color were they? I'm curious...

They were pale green like sweet banana peppers and shaped like an elongated bell pepper. If that makes sense. Most were at least 6 inches long and 2+ inches wide and they were not tapered.


mm

 

[Aquehonga]

What're those really HOT PEPPERS that Chinese restaurants use in General Tso's Chicken, as well as in other Chinese disheshpquestion:

 

[schrodinger_hated_cats]

What're those really HOT PEPPERS that Chinese restaurants use in General Tso's Chicken, as well as in other Chinese disheshpquestion:

Those are usually kung pao peppers, running about 7000-12,000 SU, about equal to a serrano pepper. Kung pao peppers and Thai peppers are similar in appearance, but a true Thai pepper is hotter than a kung pao (strictly speaking). Most mainstream Chinese places in the US would use the kung pao pepper, since most Americans aren't used to the very hot Thai peppers.

Are these the ones you mean? If so, and you've only eaten them at mainstream Chinese places, then click the option that covers serranos. All the examples shown for each poll option are similar in heat levels. If you don't see your pepper listed, ask and I might be able to tell you.

General Tso chicken is mild, kind of like sesame chicken; you might be thinking of either kung pao chicken or else szechuan (which doesn't use any true "pepper" in the Capsicum genus, which is what this poll is about).

mm-- did the peppers look like these? If so, they MIGHT have been anchos/poblanos (same thing), though I have a hard time picturing anchos being that hot. These samples are a little smaller than usual, but they are definitely anchos

This one looks pretty classic:

If not, then it might have been some hybrid pepper-- hint, most of the very hot peppers are small and/or narrow. Larger, wider peppers are usually not that hot. BUT-- anchos can be somewhat irritating when cut, though not all that hot to taste (IMO-- but I'm crazy and I eat Red Savs.)

 

[missmanners]

No those are far too dark. I always thought really hot peppers were small too, until I got these evil things. I was wondering about a hybrid, because I've never seen them since.


mm

 

[schrodinger_hated_cats]

No those are far too dark. I always thought really hot peppers were small too, until I got these evil things. I was wondering about a hybrid, because I've never seen them since.


mm

Hmmm-- I'm at a loss, because true "salsa peppers" are tapered and a little slender, though not as skinny as a cayenne. Closer to, oh, an Anaheim or... wait. I may have it here. Is this it? 6-8" long, light yellow-green and not very tapered or wedgy like a jalapeno.

If so, pick the serrano option. You might have gotten a hot example of a hot banana pepper.

 

[schrodinger_hated_cats]

Here's the Red Savinas-- aren't they pretty peppers?

 

[Aquehonga]

Them peppa's I seen in Chinese food be RED'n'long. They'nt too long, but'bout half'n inch I figures{hpquestion:}

Mayb'reddish better description:biggrin:

 

[schrodinger_hated_cats]

Them peppa's I seen in Chinese food be RED'n'long. They'nt too long, but'bout half'n inch I figures{hpquestion:}

Mayb'reddish better description:biggrin:

Ahhh... tien-tsin peppers!! The "short" ones, about an inch long, maybe a shade over an inch. Used dried, then steamed to turn them sort of leathery-- or soaked in oil for Chinese hot pepper oil. I eat those like a side of chips when I get Chinese food. I believe these are the ones, am I right?

Put yourself down for the option that includes Thai and malagueta peppers if you haven't voted... they're close to that, about 60,000 Scovies, whereas Thais run from 50,000-100,000.

 

[Aquehonga]

arty::hat:That's the peppa's I was thinkin`of:biggrin:

 

[schrodinger_hated_cats]

More than you cared to know about peppers from your resident chili-head

I'm getting some seeds for bhut jolokia peppers (ghost peppers) and I can't wait to get those bad boys planted! I start my peppers and 'maters from seed on New Year's Day. Where I am, I can have them getting used to outdoor conditions, in pots, by late February. The real hot ones, like the Habs and Red Savs take a longer time to grow than bell peppers.

The peppers that we all know and love, from the sweet bell pepper to the hottest Naga Jolokia (Bhut Jolokia, Ghost Pepper), are all the same genus. A bell pepper and a jalapeno are actually the same genus and species-- just different looks and heat levels. It's kind of like dogs-- all pet dogs are Canis familiaris, but there are many different breeds. With plants, though, we refer to the breed as a variant or variety. But we also eat different species of Capsicum peppers. Bells, jalapenos, serranos, etc. are all Capsicum anuum, or "annual peppers". They don't generally last more than one season.

Habaneros, Red Savs, bhuts, etc. are C. chinense, once thought to have originated in China. But this is not quite correct, since all Capsicum peppers originated in the New World. These varieties are perennial under the right conditions.

Most peppers have smooth stems and leaves. However, a few varieties have fuzzy leaves and flower buds (C. pubescens, or "fuzzy peppers"). The best known of these is the rocoto pepper-- perhaps the oldest domesticated pepper from which other domesticated peppers were derived. The rocoto is quite hot, running anywhere from 50,000-250,000 Scovilles. The hotter examples of these peppers are on par with habaneros, while the (relatively) milder ones are more like a serrano or a tien-tsin in heat.

There are a couple of other Capsicum species, as well-- C. frutescens, which includes the Thai pepper, the Tabasco and the Brazilian malagueta among others; and C. baccatum, which includes the ají and piquanté peppers.

Peppers were believed to have been introduced to the Old World by Christopher Columbus, who first sampled what is thought to be the ají on his 1492 voyage to the "West Indies". By the time of Columbus' 1492 voyage, Native Americans had domesticated at least four different Capsicum pepper species. In the West Indies, Columbus found several different Capsicums cultivated by the Arawaks. It was Columbus who gave these spicy treats the name "pepper", in the erroneous belief that they were somehow related to the familiar black pepper. He brought some of these "peppers" back with him to the Iberian Peninsula, where they quickly gained popularity and spread around the world. Of course, Ol' Chris was wrong about the pepper's ties to black pepper, just as he was wrong about his whereabouts. As such, the Europeans believed for a long time that the Capsicum pepper originates from India.

Black pepper, however, is not Capsicum. Black pepper is Piper nigrum, belonging to the family Piperaceae. It's actually a small fruit, though it looks like a seed. Black pepper is, strangely enough, related to a large genus of popular houseplants known collectively as Peperomia. Most of these are native to South America. Capsicum peppers, on the other hand, are in the Nightshade (Solanaceae) family which includes other familiar vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes and tobacco. They are susceptible to tobacco mosaic virus, as wel as other diseases and pests. I had hell with tomato hornworms on my peppers this year-- yet they barely touched the tomatoes. Hmmph, go figure! But those nasty things are now under control and my peppers are happily flowering and making peppers.

In fact, I used a freshly picked bell pepper tonight as a tasty addition to my Italian beef sammich-- yeah, I just HAD to have one. I kept thinking of that ever since I mentioned it on the Sub thread in the Badlands earlier today. Damn, it was good! Tomorrow night, maybe stuffed roasted poblanos with chicken and cheese and topped with my famous guacamole sauce and "homegrown" pico de gallo (with garden-ripe tomatoes, fresh jalapenos, serranos, green onions and cilantro--of course)

Damn, I'm hungry-- peppery talk always makes me hungry! :laugh:

 

[SSgt_Sniper]

Habaneros.

I grow jalapenos, bells, and the occasional cayenne plant every few years. Fresh kicks ass.

 

[Archibald Nixon]

I EAT LIGHTNIN AN CRAP THUNDA

 

[schrodinger_hated_cats]

They were pale green like sweet banana peppers and shaped like an elongated bell pepper. If that makes sense. Most were at least 6 inches long and 2+ inches wide and they were not tapered.


mm

Sounds like my Ol'Man's pecker. :laugh:

 

[classichummus]

My parrot loves peppers. Not sure what kind they are, but they are thin and red. They look like the classic red chili pepper. They are dried, he just eats the seeds.

 

[schrodinger_hated_cats]

My parrot loves peppers. Not sure what kind they are, but they are thin and red. They look like the classic red chili pepper. They are dried, he just eats the seeds.

Birds aren't bothered by the capsicum oil that makes peppers so damn hot. That's a mammal thing.

Although-- I had a Persian cat named Kepler that once stole a piece of pizza that was loaded with pepperoni and jalapenos. She wolfed it down like it was nothing, and suffered no ill effects, no diarrhea, nothing. She also loved lasagna and other pasta. I always doctor up my pasta with a generous wave of red pepper flakes. She would literally sit up on her haunches and beg for a bite. Her full-blooded sister Kirchen, on the other hand, couldn't even stand the smell of hot peppers.

Go figure! :laugh: