Chile Pepper Basics

Add chile peppers to the list of vegetables that are technically fruits. Specifically, chile peppers are the fruits of capsicum plants, which are members of the nightshade family. If the word “capsicum” sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the name for bell peppers in India, Australia, and New Zealand.

Chile peppers originated in Mexico around 7500 BCE and spread across the globe beginning in the 15th century, quickly becoming an important culinary ingredient for most cultures. They fall into three main categories: bell peppers, sweet peppers, and hot peppers. 

When they’re in season, people typically eat chile peppers fresh, sauteed, or roasted. Drying preserves chile peppers so they can be used year round, either in their whole form, as flakes, or ground into spice. The drying process preserves the pepper’s capsaicin compound, which is loaded with health benefits. Thistle sources most of their chile flakes and chile spice blends from locally-owned Oaktown Spice Shop.

While used primarily for cooking, chile peppers are also used as ornamental plants, for medicinal purposes, and for crop defense. Medicinally, the capsaicin in peppers has analgesic qualities, which means it can be used as a topical numbing agent. To keep elephants from eating their valuable crops, farmers in Africa and Asia surround their fields with a hedge of hot chile pepper plants. Elephants are super sensitive to the spicy taste, and even the smell, so the hedges act as a deterrent.

Measuring Chile Peppers’ Spiciness: The Scoville Scale

Speaking of heat, chile peppers’ spice levels are measured according to the Scoville Scale, which ranges from 0 (bell peppers) to 15 million (pure capsaicin). The more capsaicinoids a pepper has, the higher its Scoville heat unit (SHU) will be. Here’s a breakdown:

• 0-700 SHU: Non-pungent
• 700-3,000 SHU: Mildly pungent
• 3,000-25,000 SHU: Moderately pungent
• 25,000-70,000 SHU: Highly pungent
• >70,000 SHU: Very highly pungent
  

From sweet-flavored peppers with no hint of spice (pleasing to hungry elephants and people alike) to hot chile peppers that will literally make you sweat (for all the heat seekers out there), there’s a pepper to suit everyone’s tastes.

Why People Crave Spicy Food

If eating capsaicin-loaded chile peppers creates a burning and painful sensation, why do so many people love to eat spicy food? Different levels of taste bud sensitivity and exposure to spicy food as a child may explain some of it, but there’s more going on. When the brain determines that part of the body is in pain, it releases a few neurotransmitters to counter the effects: endorphins and dopamine. These are known as “feel-good” neurotransmitters, and getting a rush of them produces a euphoric feeling, similar to a “runner’s high.”

Chile Pepper Benefits

Like most colorful plants, chile peppers are packed with health benefits. As we mentioned above, capsaicin is the superstar compound in chile peppers that give them their heat and often leave you with a tingly sensation in your mouth. It can help lower LDL cholesterol. It may also boost metabolism.

Even if you don’t like spicy peppers, chile peppers that are low in capsaicin have tons of other nutrients and health benefits. Bell peppers are loaded in vitamin C. Just one cup of red bell peppers provides 317% of your daily vitamin C. They’re great to eat alongside iron-rich foods like spinach and lentils, because vitamin C aids in iron absorption. Also, fresh bell peppers have a high water content (they’re 92% water!), which helps you stay hydrated.

Depending on the variety of chile pepper, capsaicin isn’t the only plant compound present. You’ll also find antioxidant carotenoids such as lutein, sinapic acid, and ferulic acid. Mature chile peppers, which are red, contain many times more antioxidants than immature green chile peppers. 

Types of Peppers

It’s estimated that there are over 50,000 different chile peppers cultivated worldwide! Popular bell pepper colors are green, yellow, orange, and red. These are often eaten fresh, sauteed, or roasted. There are countless sweet pepper varieties, with lunchbox peppers being a kid favorite. Eat them fresh or enjoy them pickled on pizza and sandwiches. Commonly-used hot peppers include jalapeño, serrano, habanero, and bird’s eye chiles (also called Thai chiles). These chile peppers add tasty heat to dishes like salsa, stir-fry, and curries. A little goes a long way!

Here are some of the chile peppers you’ll find on Thistle’s summer menu: 

Sweet Bell Peppers

Heat scale: 0 SHU
Enjoy them: As crudite and on pizza, salads, and sandwiches.
On Thistle’s menu: Antipasto Salad, Tricolor Pesto-Goat Cheese Dip, Black Bean & Plantain Tofu Scramble, Dirty Rice Bowl

These chile peppers deliver zero heat but plenty of flavor and color (red, orange, yellow, and green). Red varieties tend to be the sweetest and contain the most vitamin C. Eaten fresh, all colors of sweet bell peppers are one of summer’s most hydrating foods.

Jalapeños

Heat scale: 2,500-7,000 SHU
Enjoy them: In salsa and in most Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine
On Thistle’s menu: Grilled Corn & Poblano Chile Salad, Aloo Gobi and Green Pea Chutney, Black Bean & Plantain Tofu Scramble, Dishoom Biryani

Perhaps the most ubiquitous of hot chile peppers in the Americas, jalapeños are typically eaten when still green. They are spiciest in their raw form, with the ribs and seeds imparting the most heat. To cool things down, saute jalapeños or toss them into dishes like salsa -- the acid from lime juice and tomatoes will reduce the spice level a bit.

Piquillo Pepper

Heat scale: 500-1,000 SHU
Enjoy them: Stuffed and served as tapas

Alongside bell peppers, here’s another low-heat chile pepper you’ll find on our summer menu. This variety is traditionally grown in Northern Spain, where it’s often roasted and stuffed. The name means “little beak” in Spanish.

Poblano Peppers

Heat scale: 1,000-1,500 SHU
Enjoy them: Roasted, peeled, and served with mole sauce

A large and mildly spicy chile pepper that originates from Mexico, poblanos are perhaps best known for being the centerpiece of the popular Mexican dish chiles rellenos poblanos. When dried, these chile peppers are called ancho.

Whether you like to keep things mild or love all things spicy, there’s a perfect chile pepper for you. Seasonal chile peppers are a delicious and nutritious addition to your diet; give them a try! Experiment with different varieties to discover which ones you like best, and enjoy some of our favorites in our meals.