Hot Peppers Are So Hot

It tickles, it tingles, it burns, it inflames. We sweat, our faces red as a lobster. We suffer a little, even. Never mind. We’re ready to start again. After all, that’s how we like them, hot peppers.

The hot pepper, with its cute little red fruits, is gaining more and more fans every year among thrill seekers. Representing a challenge for some, a symbol of social gratification for others, tasting hot peppers is also a discovery of the different and subtle flavors that hide behind the irritation of the taste buds.

Tasting hot peppers is not just about enduring the heat—it’s a journey that offers both a test of tolerance for some and a sense of accomplishment for others. Beneath the initial fiery sensation, there are subtle, unique flavors waiting to be discovered, revealing that the allure of hot peppers goes far beyond their ability to set your mouth ablaze.

Because we can easily associate a dozen hot peppers with their typical cuisines. The Tabasco pepper and its famous Louisiana sauce quickly come to mind. This one is largely distinguished from the spicy taste of a Texan chili, Mexican mole poblano, Brazilian pimento sauce, Indian tandoori, Caribbean jerk, Tunisian harissa or Thai soup.

All the World’s Peppers Start Here

Surprisingly, all hot peppers originate from Mexico and South America, primarily Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, and Peru. Before the conquest of America, hot peppers were nonexistent elsewhere in the world. It’s astonishing to see how quickly different Asian, African, and European cultures incorporated hot peppers into their diets, to the point of making them a staple of their respective local cuisines. A fine appropriation, certainly. It’s also worth noting that it was the countries near the equator that adopted them most easily. It’s well known that it’s a good idea to fight fire with fire.

The Taxonomy of Hot Peppers

Hot peppers are mainly divided into five botanical species of the genus Capsicum. The most prolific in terms of spicy peppers is Capsicum annuum, which also includes the sweet pepper. In this group are the mildest of the hottest: Espelette pepper, Jalapeño, Serrano, Poblano, etc. At the other extreme, cultivars from Capsicum chinense, not native to China, it should be remembered, are among the most poignant. Here are the Habanero type peppers, but above all, the hottest pepper in the world, the ‘Pepper X’ which demoted the ‘Carolina Reaper’ in 2023 and its rival, the ‘Komodo Dragon’ pepper, followed by the famous ‘Bhut Jolokia’, also called the ‘Ghost’ pepper. As for Cayenne pepper and Tabasco pepper, they belong to the genus Capsicum frutescens.

How to Successfully Grow Hot Peppers

The most important thing to remember when growing hot peppers successfully is that they are warm-climate plants. Anything that reminds them of their origins in arid countries is beneficial. They grow best at temperatures between 18°C and 35°C (65 to 86°F). Therefore, fruit production is encouraged by growing hot peppers in a wind-sheltered area or by positioning the plants close to a brick or concrete wall, which captures passive solar energy. Hot peppers are perfectly happy in terracotta containers, as the heat captured by the pot diffuses into the soil.

Being hot also means being thirsty. By growing hot peppers in their optimal conditions, we have also added to our responsibilities that of more consistent watering. Hot peppers like heat, but not drought. When you succeed at growing hot peppers, you also excel at growing eggplants, which have roughly the same growing requirements.

Hot peppers grow in full sun. Directly planted in the ground, they prefer slightly acidic soils well enriched with leaf compost. When the fruits begin to form, they can be fertilized with a maceration of compost or manure.

Most hot peppers go through a variety of colors before reaching their final hue. Some go from green to orange to bright red. Others start out dark purple and then turn scarlet. While peppers can be harvested as soon as they reach their mature size, they are at their best in terms of flavor and intensity when they have reached their final color. It is also at this stage of maturity that peppers can be harvested for drying or for harvesting seeds.

To obtain unique varieties, it will probably be necessary to proceed from seed, because there are few companies that sell hot peppers plants, other than the Jalapeño or Espelette pepper lookalikes. They are sown early, around mid-March, and the seeds take between three and four weeks to germinate. A little note, for those who harvest their seeds from year to year, chilies and peppers cross very easily and the dominant gene is the spiciness gene. Good news for some.

Burning Sensation, Sense of Happiness

The fiery effect of hot peppers is due to capsaicin, a chemical compound that develops near the stem. The seeds and white flesh inside a pepper are the parts with the highest concentrations. When capsaicin comes into contact with receptors—often on the tongue—it triggers a signal of burning and pain to the brain. In reality, there’s no actual heat or damage; it’s just the brain being fooled. It’s all in the head

To counteract the burning sensation, the brain releases endorphins, a compound similar to morphine, which relieves the false pain and provides a feeling of well-being. Roller coasters… hot peppers: same effect!

This explains the strange feeling of well-being and relaxation that sets in when the pain dissipates. It also explains the inexplicable need to start again.

A Balm for the Suffering

There are many myths about how to reduce the heat of a hot chili pepper. First, water is of no help. Since capsaicin is an insoluble molecule, drinking a pint of it has no restorative effect. On the other hand, milk, sour cream, and yogurt neutralize the effects of hot chili peppers. The acidity of a lemon or orange is also said to be beneficial, and you can even wash your hands with these citrus fruits after handling them.

Let the intense taste experience in no way obscure the great beauty of a hot pepper plant, lush and full of colorful fruits. In a beautiful terracotta container with South American accents or in a mixed border, in the company of colorful annuals and perennials, the multicolored fruits of hot peppers have a certain aesthetic appeal. Even if you prefer milder peppers, you shouldn’t do without them.

I Raise My Hot Pepper to Wilbur! In 1912, Wilbur Scoville had the brilliant idea of assessing the intensity of this spicy sensation. Although his approach was one of perception, his famous Scoville scale is still a widely consulted reference for hot pepper lovers today. The famous ‘Pepper X’ scores an average of 3,180,000 on the Scoville scale. For reference, the ‘Jalapeno’ pepper ranges between 4,000 and 8,000.