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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 MAY 2011 37 RECIPE OF THE WEEK Chilli peppers Chilli peppers feature on the recipe list of a number of dishes from starters to main courses and desserts. However choosing the ap- propriate chilli pepper is not always easy due to the variation in pungen- cy of different varieties. Peppers are commonly broken down into three groupings – bell peppers, sweet peppers and hot peppers, with most popular varie- ties falling into one of these catego- ries or a cross between them. The substances that give chilli peppers their intensity are capsai- cin and several other related chem- icals. Reacting with pain receptors in the mouth, signals are sent to the brain, which in turn increase the heart rate, produce perspiration and release endorphins. The heat of chilli peppers was his- torically measured in Scoville heat units, which is a measure of how much a chilli extract must be di- luted in sugar syrup before its heat becomes undetectable to a panel of tasters. Modern commonplace methods for quantitative analysis use high-performance liquid chro- matography to directly measure the capsiacinoid content of a chilli pepper variety. Chilli peppers can be used fresh, dried or pickled for culinary pur- poses. Dried chillies can also be ground into powder. The chilli pep- per is an important ingredient in dishes all over the world from the Far East to the Western World. The leaves of the chilli plant are mildly bitter but nowhere as near as hot as the fruits that come on the same plant. They are used in Fili- pino cuisine where they are cooked as "greens". They are also used in Korean, Japanese dishes. Psychologists believe that eating chilli is an example of contained risk whereby extreme sensations, like pain, can be enjoyed because individuals know that the sensation will not actually cause bodily harm. The same theories are put forward for roller coaster riding where rid- ers enjoy the sensation of fear, as they know they are not going to fall out. Eating chilli is viewed as a war- rior's ritual in Japan because its spiciness is said to mentally block fear. By forcing themselves to eat chillies, warriors' mental state is set to get stronger, leaving them feeling invincible when stepping out onto the battlefield. Archaeological evidence in Ec- uador suggests chillies have been domestically cultivated for more than 6,000 years and were one of the first cultivated crops in Central and South America. Christopher Columbus first en- countered the chilli pepper in the Caribbean and brought them to Europe where they were mainly grown as botanical curiosities in the gardens of Spanish and Portu- guese monasteries. Monks even- tually began to experiment with their culinary potential and discov- ered that their pungency offered a substitute for black peppercorns, which at the time were so costly they were used as a legal currency in some countries. maltatoday, SUNDAY, 31 AUGUST 2014 FINE FOOD OF THE WEEK How hot is your pepper? Ingredients • 15 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthways and seeds removed • 250g cheddar cheese, cut into strips to fit inside the halved jalapeños • ¼ cup breadcrumbs • ¼ cup bacon bits, grilled until crispy and chopped Method 1. Place a strip of cheese inside each half of the jalapeños. 2. Top with bacon bits and breadcrumbs. 3. Grill the peppers under a hot grill for 4 – 6 mins until the cheese is melted. 4. Serve warm. Cheese-stuffed jalapeño peppers FOOD Sweet bell pepper: The typical green bell pepper, about the size of a large fist. 0 Scovilles Pimento: Not just for stuffing olives. Pimiento is the Spanish word for "pepper". 100 – 150 Scovilles Pepperoncino: Also known as Tuscan peppers. These sweet, mild chilli peppers are found in Italy and Greece. 100 – 150 Scovilles. Paprika chilli pepper: A large, cone shaped chilli pepper. It is dried and ground to make the more familiar powdered spice Jalapeno chilli pepper: Harvested when they are green or red if allowed to ripen, this chilli pepper is 4 -6 inches long. 2,500 – 8,000 Scovilles Bird's Eye chilli pepper: The tiny Bird's Eye Chili originated in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, The Philippines, and surrounding countries, but they can now be found all over the world. 50,000-100,000 Scovilles. Thai chilli pepper: Despite the common belief, there is no single "Thai chili pepper" though most candidates for the title are small in size and high in heat or pungency. There are at least 79 separate varieties of chili that have appeared from three species in Thailand. 50,000 - 100,000 Scovilles. Scotch bonnet: This pepper is a cultivar of the habanero and is among the hottest peppers anywhere. Its name derives from its resemblance to the Scottish Tam o' Shanter hat, though it appears primarily in the Carribean and in Guyana and the Maldives. 100,000 - 350,000 Scovilles. Habanero chilli pepper: Related to the Scotch Bonnet. This one is the granddaddy of all the hot peppers in terms of heat level. Grown mainly on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, its coloring is yellow- orange, orange or bright red, depending upon when it's harvested. Average Size 1 to 2 1/2 inches long and 1 to 2 inches diameter and tam- shaped. 100,000 - 350,000 Scovilles. Naga Viper chilli pepper: This chilli pepper (capsicum chinense) has been rated at 1,382,118 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), according to tests conducted by the Warwick HRI Mineral Analysis Laboratory, UK, in November 2010. 1,382,118 Scovilles.