FRESH CHILE PEPPERS

The Capsicum or pepper family of plants was introduced to Europe by Christopher Columbus, who discovered these hot and fragrant pods in his travels to the New World. Today, these chiles and their pungent and flavorful qualities are found in cuisines all around the world. Capsaicin is the compound that gives chiles their fiery bite. Although it is also hot, ground black pepper comes from a completely unrelated plant called Piper nigrens.

There is variation in the heat level of chiles, even from the same plant. The heat of a chile, measured in Scoville heat units, depends on the type of chile, where it’s grown, and the cultivation conditions. When cooking, always taste a sliver of the chile pepper to be added so the heat level of the dish can be fine-tuned. Smaller peppers tend to be hotter because they contain a larger proportion of the seeds and veins that hold the capsaicin. To reduce the heat of the chile, remove the seeds and veins.

There are more than 20 species in the Capsicum family, four of which have varieties that many people generally recognize. Most of the chiles in stores in the United States are of the C. annuum species, with the notable exception of the habanero, which is actually a Capsicum chinense. The two other common pepper species are C. pubescens and C. fructescens, whose ranks include rocoto and Tabasco peppers. Dried chile peppers are often available year-round. Whether you will find fresh chiles at the market depends on the season and the part of the country where you live.