If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be in a five-alarm fire, try biting into a Habanero chili pepper, the Mexican gastronomic delight that is arguably the hottest available. It’s a delight only if you know what to expect, which is another way of saying, don’t try it unless you can deal with the resulting reddened eyes, sweating and choking sensation that inevitably results from a first encounter with one of the world’s hottest peppers.
Chili peppers can be a healthy addition to your diet and can add a zest into sometimes bland low-fat foods without adding calories or cholesterol. They’re also loaded with vitamins A and C, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2) and niacin. They have been shown to improve metabolism, help digestion and break up congestion. And those are merely the nutritional benefits.
Chili peppers have shown some blood-thinning capabilities for treating high blood pressure and heart disease. The chemical that makes chili peppers hot, capsaicin, is even used as an ingredient in topical remedies to reduce pain and swelling and serve as an antiseptic.
But the downside is hot chili peppers can burn you if you’re not prepared. Whether you’ll experience a five-alarm fire, or a mild tingle depends on the chili pepper, since not all of them are hot. Chili peppers, a member of the night-shade family which includes tomatoes, potatoes, and tobacco, can range in heat from the innocuous bell pepper to the flaming habanero. Color is no indication of heat; the habanero, for example, can be red, orange, green or white. A better gauge is shape; the small, narrow peppers like cayenne or serrano are usually hot while larger peppers like poblano and Anaheim peppers are milder. Heat is based on how much capsaicin is concentrated in the ribs and inner membrane of the pepper. Capsaicin is a tasteless but potent chemical that makes peppers hot; it causes an intense burning sensation in sensitive nerve fibers in the mouth and — if the person handling the pepper isn’t careful — on fingers and in the eyes. That’s why you should wear rubber gloves when handling hot peppers, don’t touch your children or pets, and wash your hands thoroughly when finished.
If you’re not sure just how hot the pepper is, try the tongue test — touch your tongue to a small piece of the cut flesh. You’ll know instantly whether to pile it on or use a light touch. If you misjudge and end up with a mouth full of fire, don’t try water or alcohol to relieve the pain; use dairy products such as milk or yogurt. Bread, bananas, and rice may also help.
