![]() These days, however, high-performance liquid chromatography recognises capsaicinoid concentration, although Scoville is still recognised in the measure Scoville Heat Units (SHU). This initially involved mixing the dried extract variously in sugar solutions for a panel of tasters. This is why, in 1912, the American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville devised a method by which he could measure the piquancy, or “heat”, of chillies and other foods. The amount of capsaicin in capsicums varies wildly, from not appreciable to huge. ![]() All cultivars contain capsaicin, a lipophilic chemical that produces a sensation of burning, a quality that was harnessed and fundamental in native American medicine. There are thousands of cultivars of capsicum, five of them widely cultivated, which between them gives us habanero, scotch bonnet, ají amarillo, tabasco pepper, cayenne, poblano, jalapeño and bell peppers, to name just a few. Peperoncini, like all chillies, belong to a genus of the nightshade family called Capsicum, all of which are native to central and south America, and the Caribbean. Grown in Calabria, this variety is 2-3cm long, smooth and cone-like on the plant, but drying causes the fruits to shrink (hence the resemblance to a small beetle or red raisin), and be on the rascally, rather than demonic side of devilish, so a pleasant amount of heat. ![]() What’s more, they go by the name peperoncini diavolicchi (little devils), so I am waiting for the day they scuttle from the chopping board, giggling as they do so. The peperoncini I buy from the market remind me of little red beetles.
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