Description
A spice that is ground from dried chili pepper. Chili pepper has varying heat levels from mild to extremely hot.
What does chili pepper taste like?
Chili pepper varies greatly in flavor and spice and can give off notes of sweet, smoky, sour, or hot flavors.
Where does chili pepper come from?
Native to Mexico, chili pepper is the fruit of the capsicum pepper plant.
There are hundreds of species of chili pepper, most edible chilis come from capsicum annum.
Chili Pepper Uses
Chili can be added to almost any dish to add depth and heat, and it can also boost the flavor in sweet dishes.
Chili peppers vary depending on the chili used, some products labeled ‘chili powder’ are actually spice blends containing cumin, garlic, salt, and other spices.
Chili peppers are best cooked into dishes such as stews, soups, sauces, marinades, and curries.
Chili Pepper Substitutes
- Black pepper: pepper has a more neutral spice, but can be used as an undertone ingredient in place of a small amount of chili powder.
- Mustard: provides a spicy element although mustard’s spice is felt throughout the sinuses.
- Other forms of chili: chili powder is a broad term and generally there is a differing heat level of chilies available such as cayenne pepper or Kashmiri chili powder.
Chili Pepper Compliments and Pairings
The heat and complexity of the chili pepper matches well with ingredients such as ginger, garlic, coriander, basil, thyme, rosemary, cumin, onion, tomato, potato, chocolate, poultry, game, red meat, fish, lemon, lime, avocado, sweetcorn, and pulses.
Chili Pepper Expiration and Storage
- Powder: store in an airtight container away for direct light and moisture, use within one year.
- Flakes: store in an airtight container away for direct light and moisture, use within one year.
Fun Facts About Chili Pepper
- The scoville scale measures the heat level of peppers.
- The heat of the chili pepper is a defense mechanism for the plant to prevent itself from being eaten.
- Chili peppers are believed to be one of the first domesticated plants.
Popular Chili Pepper Recipes
- Chili chocolate mousse
- Chili con carne
- Vindaloo curry
- Hot chili sauce
- Firecracker chicken
- Sichuan duck
- Hot and sour soup
- Tantanmen noodle
- Arrabiata