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Chilli fun

Chilli Use

Experimenting with Chillies Yourself

Having heard all about chillies, you no doubt want to try some of this for yourself. Here is a quick how-to guide.

Firstly, it helps to know you way around a chilli:

Used without permission from The Chilli Pepper Institute

Contrary to popular belief, the highest concentration of Capsaicin, therefore the majority of the heat, is to be found in the placenta, not the seeds.

Cultivating and preserving chillies is an art unto itself, which I will gladly leave to the experts. Bristol does not have the climate to grow much other than watercress.  Roasting or smoking will bring out the flavour of a chilli, but experimenting with different ones is the only way to find out what you like. I suggest you start in the lower numbers of the Scoville scale.  When eating chillies it is usually best to remove the seeds, as some people find these taste bitter.

If during your experimentation you find you have misjudged the heat of a pepper, water and beer will be of little help. Tequila has a high enough ethanol content to help a little more, but by far the greatest relief comes from fatty foods and dairy products. It is no co-incidence so many curries include cream or butter, and that Mexican food is often served with soured cream or guacamole.

Chilli Use