By François Ferreira
Chillies have long been regarded as a powerful aphrodisiac. They are also known as a pain reliever, a cure for the common cold and even a guardian against evil spirits. Chillies come in an array of vibrant colours, but beware, even though they might be pretty, they are really hot stuff and very addictive.
The chilli pepper has a dual culinary personality. Used fresh, it is a vegetable (or to be more precise, a fruit). In its dry form, it is a spice. As a member of the capsicum family, it is the fiery cousin of the sweet bell pepper and the relatively mild paprika pepper. It shares the same name as black pepper, but it is not, in fact, related.
The heat of the chilli is measured on the Scoville scale. William Scoville was a chemist who experimented with capsaicin, the heat source of the chilli. In Scoville heat units, a mild chilli measures about 1000, while a very hot variety like the African bird’s eye can measure up to 300 000 units.
There is also the simple 1 to 10 scale, 1 being mild and 10 being the hottest.
Heat scale of chillies
Thai Dragon – 8/10
Curved shape, starts out green and turns red
Cayenne – 8/10
Most commonly grown in South Africa, used for chilli powders
Jalapeno – 5/10
Plump chilli that starts off green, ripening into yellow/orange and then a deep red
Habanero – 10/10
Infamous for their heat, a bell-shaped, green fruit that ripens to red, orange or yellow
Serrano – 6/10
Dark green chilli that ripens to a vibrant red
Inferno – 6/10
Large lime green chillies which turn orange and red when ripe. Good size for chilli poppers
African Bird’s Eye – 10/10
A small fruit that starts out green and then turns bright red. Great for making peri-peri sauce
Bishop’s Crown – 3/10
Distinctive shape that starts out green and matures through a bright orange to a vibrant red.
Here as a few recipes, you might find interesting, do try them!