Bring the heat with hot chili peppers! Cooking with spicy ingredients can seem daunting at first, but we have a few tips that will help you master hot peppers in your everyday cooking.
Hot Pepper Tips
- The hottest parts of a hot pepper are the seeds and white inner membrane. Remove these to reduce the spice level without sacrificing flavor.
- Use glove when handling hot peppers, and wash your hands afterward.
- Avoid touching any part of your body, especially your face, after touching hot peppers.
- A couple of our top remedies to beat the heat after eating something too spicy include dairy (nut or soy milk substitutes don’t work as well as dairy milk), bread, and sugar.
Hot Peppers You Should Be Eating at Home
Poblano/Ancho Chile (1,000–1,500 SHU)
Poblanos are a mild pepper commonly used in Mexican cuisine. Because they are bigger and milder than most peppers, you’ll often find them stuffed with different fillings such as rice, cheese, and vegetables. Ancho peppers are smoked poblanos, which pack plenty of unique flavors.
Dishes to try with poblanos: Green chili, chile relleno, mole
Dishes to try with anchos: Red chili, tamales, enchiladas
Thai chili (50,000 to 100,000 SHU)
As the name suggests, Thai chilies are grown mainly in Thailand and appear in many Southeast Asian cuisines. They are tiny red peppers that are typically less than an inch in length. The original recipe for Sriracha used Thai chilies, so try making your own homemade version using these tiny, hot peppers.
Dishes to try: Homemade curry paste, stir-fry
Contestants in the hot chili pepper eating contest at Chilly Blues & Brews show of their scorpion peppers (way hotter than a Thai chili!)
Habanero (100,000 to 350,000 SHU)
Habaneros pack great flavor, but they also pack extreme heat! These small but mighty peppers taste great in many dishes and sauces because of its fruity flavor. For a sweet and spicy kick, try muddling a habanero pepper (seeds removed) into a refreshing summer beverage, such as lemonade or sweet cocktail.
Dishes to try: Homemade hot sauces and salsas
If you want to try a few extra spicy peppers, stop by Chilly, Blues, & Brews at The B.O.B.
Check out and see if our team can stand the heat:
