Heat
in peppers is measured in Scoville Heat Units, named
for Wilbur Scoville who worked
for the Parke
Davis Pharmaceutical Company. In 1912 he was working on
a muscle cream that used capsaicin, the substance in peppers
that give them their heat. Scoville conducted a series
of
tests with whole ground chilies mixed in a solution of
water & sugar.
He had a panel of 5 testers sip the solution in increased
dilutions until it reached the point that it no longer burned
the mouth. Lot's of Prylosec & Rolaids in the room
(at least there would have been for me). A number was then
assigned
to each pepper based on how much it needed to be diluted
before you could not feel the heat.
One part of chili-heat per one million drops of water was
then rated at 1.5 Scoville Heat Units or SHU for short. When
asked, Scoville called his test
"
The Scoville Organaleptic Test." Measured in multiples
of 100 units, the pungency of chili peppers finds itself
at zero Scoville Units in your basic green & colored
bell peppers, while the hottest of hot Peppers the Red
Savina variety Habanero chili
ranks in at a whopping 350,000 SHU.
Capsaicin is the substance found in the placental tissue
or membrane of the chili
pepper (that white foamy stuff found inside the pepper).
Common belief is that the
heat comes from the seeds. While this is partly true as
the seeds have close contact
with the membrane, the real heat is in the foam. With a
melting point of approximately 150 F, chili pepper dishes
are better served warm.
Capsaicin fools your brain into thinking that it you are
in pain by stimulating the nerve endings in your mouth.
The Brain responds by releasing endorphins giving a mild
euphoric feeling. It is very important to understand that
handling hot chili peppers can make your nose run, your
eyes water and cause perspiration. |
It
is strongly recommended that you use food
handler gloves when working with hot peppers. Keep fingers
away from your nose and eyes and other sensitive areas
of the body. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm
water
after.
So how do I get the heat out of my mouth? A Manufacturer of Habanero pepper products told me the
best way to relieve your mouth of the heat from peppers
is 5 minutes. Capsaicin is not water soluble, but oil,
soluble. That is why a glass of cold water does not do
the trick. The water just glides over the oil on your tongue.
Milk, (with milk fat and proteins) will coat your mouth
and help out a little. Acid from a ripe tomato helps break
it down, but time is the only essence. While
I enjoy spicy food, I don't enjoy torture. I like to
taste my food and all ingredients in it. I can handle
a fair amount of heat, but I don't see the point in
making
a dish so hot that I cannot taste it or enjoy it. Not
to mention that It all has to make a trip through my
entire
digestive system and that really is an experience that
I am not interested in repeating. But hot & spicy
is trendy, and for those of you who do find pleasure
in turning
the heat up high , the world of chili peppers is wide
open. Fun Facts
- In ancient Mexico cut Jalapeno pepper was rubbed on insect
bites to stop itching.
It has recently been discovered that Capsaicin reduces
blood pressure in dogs and tests are being done for humans.
It is also believed to help reduce intestinal cancer.
- When
peppers are Dehydrated they tend to increase
in "Heat" by
about 10 times.
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