All it takes is a few drops to add some fiery flavour to your recipes

Some peppers are so hot they can induce vertigo

C apsaicin is the pugnacious ingredient that fuels peppers fiery reputation. The capsaicin content of peppers is measured in parts per million that are converted into Scoville heat units, a measure of the heat of pepper. This thermal Richter scale for your palate is based upon the thinking that one part capsaicin per million is equivalent to 15 Scoville units.

Sweet Bell Peppers have a Scoville rating of 0 whereas a jalapeno pepper rates around 5000 Scovilles, the habanero 250,000 Scovilles and the Naga Jolokia comes in at an excruciating 1 million Scovilles,

To tame the fire of peppers one needs to know how the pepper works. The cells in the flesh that surrounds the seeds secrete capsaicin onto the seeds. The coolest way to reduce the heat and increase the flavour of hot peppers is to remove the seeds and their surrounding flesh. As easy as this may sound you may want to take the precautionary measures of wearing gloves and protective eye wear, as capsaicin is oily and hard to wash off. Even the smallest traces of it on the hands can cause great discomfort later when it comes in contact with the eyes or mucous membranes.

Exploring the Mopan River in Belize, I came across some Habanero peppers growing amongst some banana trees. I picked a pepper and bit in to it. The immediate taste was sweet and refreshing then out of nowhere my internal body temperature soared, and I began to sweat profusely. My mouth was burning and my tongue felt like it was sweating. Finally I was hit with a wave of vertigo, caused by the sudden increase in my heart rate and my over stimulated nervous system releasing endorphins. I chased it down with some bananas which greatly took the edge off and created a pleasant flavour profile.

For the uninitiated you may want to ease your way up the Scoville ladder by staying in your comfort zone of heat tolerance while still being able to taste your food. Overtime you become desensitized to the extreme heat of the hotter chillies, which will allow you to open the door on a new culinary journey.

Ontario grown hot peppers are in season and will be up until we get frost. The following recipe calls for Bird’s Eye Chillies but you may choose to use whatever hot pepper you prefer. You may want to use regular sweet peppers if you do not like spicy foods.

To explore the world of hot peppers and other gastro-delights I suggest heading to East City to get your heat on at The Firehouse Gourmet. They stock an extensive line of pepper-based products.

By adding only a few drops of such pepper-infused sauces one can transform soups, barbecue sauce and stews into a whole new flavour experience.

SAMBA SAUCE

4oz Bird’s eye chillies 4 cloves garlic 1/4 tsp. ground cumin 1/4 tsp. ground coriander 2 tbsp. canola oil ½ cup mango peeled and diced 1 bunch of green onions diced 1/4 cup of frozen orange juice concentrate

One –half cup of white vinegar 1 tbsp. Soy Sauce 1 tbsp. Fish sauce 2 tbsp. brown sugar Pinch of ground Allspice Coarsely chop the chillies and garlic. In a sauté pan over medium heat brown the garlic and chillies in oil with cumin and coriander. Reduce the heat and add the mango and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool. Once cooled, combine the mango mixture with all of the remaining ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. This Sambal will keep for up to four weeks in the refrigerator.