Black pepper and red pepper are both fundamental spices in food cultures all over the world. Black pepper comes from the Kerala region in Southern India while red pepper comes from Central America. While both of these spices play similar roles — they provide heat … Read more
Ancho and chipotle peppers are two classic Mexican dried chilies that are becoming more and more popular around the world. They have some similarities, but there are quite a few nuanced differences that will impact your cooking when choosing one over the other. Let’s break … Read more
Fermented hot sauce and unfermented hot sauce are the two main options when making (or purchasing) hot sauce. The two processes result in very different products even though the ingredients are very similar. Let’s break down the differences between the two in simple terms, so … Read more
Old Bay seasoning and Cajun seasoning are two regionally iconic American spice blends. Old Bay comes from Maryland, Cajun seasoning is associated with parts of Louisiana. The two differ strongly in their intended effects on food although both are flavorful and have several ingredients in … Read more
You can find pre-made Picante sauce and pre-made salsa in the Mexican aisle of your local grocery store. Mild and hot versions of each are available and can serve similar purposes, but how different are these two ingredients? When should you use one and when … Read more
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 other ingredients. The most common chili pepper used … Read more
Both Creole seasoning and jerk seasoning come from a mix of European, African, and Native American cultures in the New World. The histories of these two spice mixes have close connections to slavery and colonialism but they have evolved to become important components in the … Read more
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 … Read more
Cayenne pepper and chipotle powder are both common kitchen spices, working equally well for upping the spice level of food and for adding a touch of spicy color. Both come from chili peppers and are as easy to find as they are easy to use. … Read more
Nam prik pao and sambal oelek are two of the most beloved chili pastes from Southeast Asia. Neither is excessively hot and both share a similar bright red color; however, you would be wrong to assume that these chili pastes are even close to identical … Read more