The intensive colour is program
The signal color of the chili peppers characterizes their effect:
Pungency and consequently heat, but also endorphins.
As always, it depends on the dose.
On the scale of the Scoville Heat Units, which was developed by the British pharmacologist Wilbur L. Scoville to compare the degree of pungency of chili fruits, we deliberately stay in the low range.
Chili Fruit // Scoville Heat Units (SHU)
Sweet peppers: 0 – 10 SHU
Pepperoni: 100 – 500 SHU
Tabasco sauce: 2.500 – 8500 SHU
Cayenne pepper: 30.000 – 50.000 SHU
Thai chili: 50.000 – 100.000 SHU
Habanero chili: 100.000 – 250.000 SHU
Pepper spray: 2 million SHU
Pure capsaicin: 16 million SHU
The usual pepperoni is enough for us. It adds spiciness and enjoyment to many dishes and, in the past, often replaced pepper in the houses of European rulers and princes, which in those days was far more expensive than chilli fruit.
We are happy to do without competitions like the one in Texas, where you measure yourself by how much chilli hot you can tolerate. But we wouldn’t want to miss the red pepperoni, which in fresh and dried form, finely chopped or cut into very fine strips, gives most dishes a wonderfully hot component.
The capsaicin is mainly responsible for the pungency of the chillies. GloriousMe with its almost daily use of chillies is certainly above the average level, which in Central Europe is 1.5 mg per day, while in Mexico and Thailand between 25 – 200 mg of capsaicinoids are absorbed daily by the consumption of chillies.
Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory
Capsaicin is said to have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties for the digestion of food. As always in life, a matter of dosage.
The effect of capsaicin on the taste buds in the oral mucosa, which makes us perceive a food as spicy, is basically not a taste like sweet, bitter, salty, sour or umami, but a pain reaction.
It is worth being careful at first with every new chili pepper, because the degree of pungency can vary greatly. If there is too much chilli in the pot or if you have guests at your table who are not very experienced in chilli, it is worth putting a small bowl of natural yoghurt on the table. This reduces the spiciness and the combination of a spicy, warm dish with the sour, cool yoghurt tastes great.
The pungency of the capsaicinoids is of course not for eyes and mucous membranes. It is extremely painful to touch your eye after cutting chili. It is easier to work with an aromatic elixir that already contains chilli, garlic and ginger.
Comfort Food
Fresh or dried peppers give every pasta dish and every stew, stews and Asian-inspired salads a spicy warmth that is felt to be soothing. Even a simple scrambled egg gains in format with chilli flakes. The slight pain and the heat felt afterwards are pleasant and stimulating. It feels as if the body is working more intensively.
And when things have to be done quickly and comfort food is required: a good curry sausage always has a comforting effect. In GloriousMe’s opinion, a few glasses of good curry sausage from your trusted butcher always belong in the pantry, so that you are prepared for all eventualities.
