Both dark and light chili powders are blends of the same ingredients. All chili powders contain dried and ground hot peppers, along with cumin, garlic, and oregano. Those are just the foundation ingredients; some blends will have others. While dark and light chili powder blends …
If you’re around chili peppers (or any vegetable long enough) – whether you’re a gardener or not – you’re bound to hear references to hybrid plants. But what is a hybrid plant? Is it something cultivated? Can it happen on its own? Are there benefits …
Jerk seasoning refers to a blend of herbs and spices used in jerk cooking. Jerk seasoning can be a wet paste consisting of fresh ingredients and dry spices, or it might be the dry spices alone. Jerk seasoning is traditionally used on pork and chicken. …
If you’re a fan of spicy heat on (or in) nearly anything, you won’t have any trouble coming up with ways to use up hot sauce; however, you may need some ideas if you are stuck with a hot sauce that is too spicy. Using …
Sauces can wind up being too spicy for a number of reasons including a cook underestimating the heat of chili peppers or one who mistakes one hot pepper for another. Whatever the reason, there are ways to get around excessively hot food without having to …
Saving pepper seeds is straightforward in principle — leave a pepper on the tree until it gets very ripe. Once it ripens, you cut it open and store the seeds until you are ready to plant again. Simple, right? The truth is that while it’s …
There are some mighty big numbers on the Scoville scale. It ranges from a goose egg zero all the way into the millions. Each number is known as a Scoville heat unit, but what does that mean? What exactly are Scoville heat units, and why …
Horseradish and chili peppers stimulate the same set of sensory receptors (called polymodal nociceptors) in the mouth and nose, which is why we register both of them as hot with both spices, the ability to cause burning is likely the plant’s self-protection mechanism to avoid …
Sambal oelek is not quite as popular in the West as sriracha, but in recent years it has begun to emerge from the shadow of the rooster sauce. These days, sambal oelek has a strong following among people who want a purer hot pepper experience. …
What is shichimi togarashi? Shichimi togarashi is a Japanese spice blend made up of seven different spices. The most common ingredients are red chili pepper, orange peel, black sesame, white sesame, ginger, hemp seed, and nori. It is often used as a condiment for sushi …