Q: Hi Dave,Recently at a dinner engagement I said that the chiles will produce more capsaicin if grown in an adverse environment, the more adverse the hotter the chiles. A friend differed with me and said that it was genetic. What is the correct reason for the heat in chiles?Kind regards, Michael A: Hello Michael:We now believe the heat level is …
Heat Scale: African Fatali & White Bullet
Q: Dear Dave,Has the heat level in the African Fatali or the White Bullet been tested yet? I believe they are as hot as the Red Savina.–Darrell A: Hello Darrell:They probably have been tested somewhere, but I don’t have the results in my files. I agree with you, however.–Dave
Increasing Tolerance for Spicy Foods
Q: Hi Dave,I will be moving to Thailand in a few months and would like to increase my tolerance for spicy foods before I go. So my question is this: Is the increase in the amount of capsaicin that I can tolerate caused by repeated and increased exposure of spicy foods on the tongue, or in the digestive tract? If …
Why Chiles Make Us Sweat
Q: Dear Dave,I have a fairly flavorless question Dave: Why do we sweat (especially around the eyes) when we use a potent hot pepper sauce?Thank you, Cameron. A: Hello Cameron:The capsaicin in chiles is perceived by the body as a poison that must be removed, so the result of eating hot stuff is gustatory rhinitis (runny nose) and gustatory perspiration (sweating).–Dave
Do Green Chiles Get Hotter as They Turn Red?
Q: Hi Dave,We have an office dispute here… Do green chiles (New Mexico) get hotter as they turn red? Is there a heat difference in the "heat" of a green chile dried on the plant vs. those dried by hanging or other methods?Thanks a fiery bunch, Randy A: Hello Randy:The amount of capsaicin in the pods does not increase as the …