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The Chemistry of Chilli Peppers |
This page is about chilli peppers, the fruit of the Capsicum family of plants. It is these fruit which provide the 'heat' to food from across the world. |
The idea for this site came to me as an avid chef, of considerable scientific bent. I make a point of understanding the chemistry involved in my cooking, and I particularly enjoy using and eating chillies. This site will investigate the chemicals present in these fruit, what gives them their heat, and the effect of the chemical on the body. |
Capsaicinoids - The chemical origin of heat in chillies. This page examines the chemicals responsible for the heat of chillies, and gives molecular models of some of the more common. Analysis - The chemical methods employed in the study of peppers. The use of HPLC and Mass Spectroscopy on peppers, and some sample spectra. The Scoville Scale - The standard way of measuring the heat within a pepper. Determined with HPLC. The Effect of Chillies on the Body - What makes the Capsaicin taste hot, and what happens after that. Endorphins - The release of these molecules is caused by the pain response from chillies, leading to a sense of happiness and well being. Using Chillies - Every good scientist performs some kind of experiment. Here is a rough guide to experimenting with chillies. Hot Humour - Anecdotes and stories pertaining to chillies. No scientific merit whatsoever, but quite interesting none-the-less. References - Some of the pages that helped me write this site, and a little about me. |
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[DOI:10.6084/m9.figshare.5281324]
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