Chili Pepper News

When you think of herbs, you probably don’t think about chili peppers. Your first thought may be parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. And, if you think long enough about Simon and Garfunkel, you’re brain is likely to stumble on another kind of herb. Now that it’s legal in some places, you’re also more likely to admit to that association.

You’ve probably seen it time and again. Recipes that call for fresh chilies usually direct you to remove the seeds. Why? For some reason, a lot of people are under the impression that a chili’s heat derives from its seeds. It’s hogwash. But, there seem to be a lot of these individuals. Many of them are chefs (or, at least, their cookbook recipe writers). This level of deception continues to mislead the home cook.

Thinking about the first tests to determine the heat of chili peppers, it’s far too easy to think of Wilbur Scoville as a little bit out of his mind. After all, humans are terrible at gauging… well, anything. Given a crime scene, every witness will see something different. And, it’s damned difficult to agree on specific color – so much so that there are color reference guides printed to assist designers and the like.

t seems like there are more chili eating contests year on year. And, there appears to be a constant stream of radio DJs and TV hosts diving into the hottest foods they (or rather, their producers) can find.