Hot food

Regardless of whether the hot taste comes from paprika or pepper, the underlying reason is always the same - the content of hot substance, capsicine. Besides capsicine coming from paprika there are also other burning alkaloides (zingerone, piperine) which some spices contain (for example pepper and ginger).

"Jalapeno" paprika can certainly be included among strong "hot ingredients" and "red habanero" is considered to be the hottest in the world.

A scale for measuring hot taste was invented in 1920 by Scoville and the only institute engaged in analyzing hot peppers is located in New Mexico.

Regardless of whether the hot taste comes from paprika or pepper, the underlying reason is always the same - the content of hot substance, capsicine.

How do we feel hot taste?

It is interesting how people perceive hot taste: there are certain receptors (sensors) in our mouth for warm - cold that react exactly up to a particular limit. Practice allows this limit to be moved, but not much.

Hot ingredients activate warmth sensors so no wonder a person who has swallowed a chilli pepper says it is very hot. Besides capsicine from paprika there are also other burning alkaloides (zingerone, piperine) which some spices contain (for example pepper and ginger).

Washing out this hot taste with water is a big mistake because the burning ethereal oils are not water soluble. The opposite to warmth or the hot taste of paprika is cold menthol. Menthol from peppermint stimulates cold sensors so we can speak about "cooling" effects (menthol drops, chewing gum, etc.)

Hot ingredients activate warmth sensors so no wonder a person who has swallowed a chilli pepper says it is very hot.

Hot sauces

Hot sauces are the main ingredient of a majority of the most famous world cuisines. There are differences among them which hot food connoisseurs are well aware of.

The technology of making hot sauces is a special and well kept secret. A fine selection of hot fully ripe peppers of intensive red colour are ground and then well mixed with sea salt. The mixture is put in oak barrels where it ripens just like the best wines - exactly 3 years. Pure wine vinegar is then added and the mixture is mixed for a few weeks. After this procedure the hot sauce can be bottled. The average strength of such sauce is just around 800 units.

Tabasco, which is highly appreciated, is prepared from red habanera and is 10 times hotter, i.e. 8000 units, while Mexican cayote sauce is somewhat milder.

There are a couple of hundred ready-made hot sauces today in the world hiding under various trade brands. Just a few drops added to meals or in soups can bring out a specific burning taste. One of the hottest sauces, for which some say it "burns" your table cloth if spilt, is Caribbean piquante.

Measuring hot taste

The hot taste of ready-made products on the market is regulated by a scale for hot taste, using Scoville units:

Sweet pepper = 0 units
Italian pepper Pepperoncino = 100 - 500 units
Pepper from New Mexico = 500 - 1 000 units
Pasilla type = 1 000 - 1 500 units
Rocotillo type = 1 500 - 2 500 units
Jalapeno type = 2 500 - 5 000 units
Wax type = 5 000 - 10 000 units
Serrano type = 10 000-23 000 units

Hot taste up to 40 000 units is considered to be strong and unbearable. However, this is not the ultimate hot limit.

A special species Habanera savina has 360 000 units and can reach even more than 500 000 which is extremely hot (577 000 is the record).

Manufacturers of hot peppers compete in the strength of their products so it is no wonder a festival of hot peppers is held every year where a "grand prix" for hot taste is awarded.

Therapeutic attributes of hot taste

Today there are drops to which hot pepper is added that carry therapeutic attributes and have proved to be rather effective in treating inflammation or cancer of the mouth cavity. Hot taste alleviates pain by effecting the mentioned mucous sensors. The higher the concentration of capsicine one can bear, the pain is weaker and by causing "burning" pain capsicine eliminates real pain.

Experiments have shown that capsicine shifts the threshold of pain; what was before treatment a painful spot, after washing out with a capsicine solution becomes less painful or insensitive. Today there are lotions and creams for external use based on capsicine containing 0.25% or 0.075% of this substance.

The opinion that hot pepper and sharp food are "healthy" because they destroy surrounding microorganisms does not stand. On the contrary, the contamination of pepper (and the hot type as well) has been established which is a characteristic of other ingredients as well. This clearly shows that hot is not an equivalent to bactericidal. Burns from capsicine are best treated with cold oily compresses.

All the above listed problems do not mean you have to stop preferring hot taste. You get used to everything and therefore to hot taste as well, so it is just a matter of defining your limits.