Hot Shots Blog

Chile Pepper Fun Fact - Northwest China's Gobi Desert

It's a dry heat...

The Gobi Desert Is a Red Sea of Chili Peppers

They dry in the sun every autumn in China's Uyghur Autonomous Region.

In Northwest China's Gobi Desert, autumn tints the landscape a flaming scarlet. The fields of red aren’t deciduous leaves blushing with the season. They’re chili peppers, spread out to dry under the hot desert sun following the late-summer harvest. Each September and October, farmers across the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which produces a fifth of China’s world-leading pepper harvest, let the harsh sun and 100-plus degree temperatures do the work that most American producers leave to industrial dehydrators.

The result is a red sea of chilies stretching to the horizon. From the ground, the mounds of glossy, fat peppers look like tempting seasoning for a future dinner. From above, the two hundred-plus ton harvest transforms the landscape, staining the khaki-colored desert like blood cells under a microscope.

Blanketing the arid sand of the Uyghur Autonomous Region, the chilies are part of a spice economy that stretches back to the heyday of the Silk Road. Until the 16th century, native spices such as cumin dominated Central Asia's spice trade, and they continue to flavor the cuisine of the Turkic-speaking, majority-Muslim Uyghur people who call this region home. Chilies reached China sometime in the 1500s, one of the many New World foods to spread in Asia as a result of European conquest in the Americas. Chilies took root both in the dry desert soil and the local cuisine.

*Ariel picture of the chile peppers drying in the desert sun.

Chile Pepper Fun Fact - The Quintisho Chile Pepper  

The rare and beautiful Quintisho Chile... 

A unique pepper from Bolivia, Quintisho peppers are 3/4” round hot peppers the grow on small, tight shrubs that produce small fruits that resemble a cherry tomato. They can be either yellow or red. 

A rare variety producing 3/4" pods on compact plant and ripen from green to RED yellow. Very productive with fruit similar in appearance to a wild cherry tomato. Aromatic with a citrus like flavor. Eat these handsome morsels fresh, add to salad and salsas or pickle for later. They range in heat level from 5,000 to 30,000 SHU.

Chile Pepper Fun Fact - The 7 Pot Pepper

Pot or Pod?? What say you

7 Pod, also known as 7 Pot, is a chili pepper that originates from Trinidad. It is a rare and extremely hot chili. The pungency of this pepper is similar to that of the Bhut Jolokia and Naga Morich.

The 7 Pot Pepper originates from the nation of Trinidad. It is one of the world's hottest peppers and a landrace variety of Trinidad. The name was given because one pepper is claimed to be hot enough to flavor seven pots of stew! Multiple strains of the 7 Pot have surfaced over recent years.

Chile Pepper Fun Fact - Pimiento de Padrón (a.k.a. Padrón pepper) 

The most famous pepper of Spain... 

Padrón peppers, also called Herbón peppers, are a variety of peppers from the municipality of Padrón. This pepper is a specialty grown in Galicia in northern Spain. It is traditionally eaten as a simple tapa, fried in olive oil and tossed with salt; it is harvested young and small, with a tender skin and no mature seeds, so it’s perfect for eating whole, bitten right off the stem. It is generally mild with a nutty flavor at this stage, but it gets hotter as it matures. Part of the fun of eating these peppers is that about one in a dozen will be pretty hot. 

The most famous pepper of Spain, the Padron Pepper is a unique and delightful little pepper with a variety of traditional uses. Fruits are most commonly picked green and have a delicious, sweet flavor, with some heat near their centers. Though often classified as a sweet pepper, about 5-10% of the fruits come out hot. If allowed to ripen to red, fruits gain heat as well. Usually fried and used for tapas, but the peppers can also be processed into paprika.

Chile Pepper Fun Facts - The Pimentos Pepper   

What Are Pimentos, and How Are They Used?

Whether they're stuffed in the olive in your martini glass, pureed in a cheese dip, or dried and turned into paprika, pimentos, which are sweet peppers most closely associated with Spain, are a triple treat. They work as a garnish, an ingredient, and a spice. How's that for versatile? 

Pimentos, also referred to as pimientos, are a type of pepper with a sweet flavor and very little heat. This nightshade is also known as a cherry pepper because of its red color and round, heart-shaped fruit. They usually measure about 3 to 4 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide, with a short, thick green stem. 

It's possible you've consumed pimentos and don't even know it. Some regions of Spain and the United States use pimentos in their mix of paprika, a popular spice made by grounding various peppers to a fine powder. Many chefs prefer the mild, sweet flavor of paprika made with pimentos over the heat of other spices, such as cayenne. 

As with other peppers, you discard the stems when prepping them. It's commonly diced and stuffed into Spanish or Manzanilla olives in Mediterranean cuisine. Stateside, pimento-stuffed olives make a traditional garnish for martinis and are found in the pimento loaves our grandmas used to slice and serve for sandwiches. 

Pimentos are also a key ingredient for a favorite dinner party appetizer, pimento cheese, sometimes referred to as "the caviar of the South," as a spread on crackers or bread. Or stuff them with rice or cheese and serve them as a handheld appetizer on their own, like in stuffed mini peppers. 

Beyond those applications, you can use pimentos anywhere you'd use a bell pepper. Think about Mexican fare, chilis, and soups, as they're great with beans and in tacos, but also mixed in with pasta, risotto, and other grains, too. 

Chile Pepper Fun Fact - The Piment d' Anglet Chile Pepper

A pepper of many names... 

Piment d' Anglet chile peppers, botanically classified as Capsicum annuum, are a long and sweet variety that belongs to the Solanaceae or nightshade family. Also known as Doux des Landes, Chiparras chile, Piment Basque chile peppers, and Basque Fryer ers, Piment d’ Anglet chile peppers are native to the Basque region of Spain and France, which is a region known for its innovative, versatile cuisine and highly-flavored peppers. Similar to Italian frying peppers, Piment d’ Anglet chile peppers are not commercially grown, but they are a popular variety amongst sweet pepper enthusiasts and are commonly cultivated in home gardens for use as an everyday pepper. 

A French pepper used in many French Basque recipes. It is a twisty, long pepper that when green has a “very distinct peppery taste with a very tender skin and lend[s] a nice chile zest without adding heat.

Chile Pepper Fun Fact - The Peter Pepper 

Giggle away. It’s ok. That’s the nature of the peter pepper. When you see it, you can’t ignore its shape. It looks like a man’s penis. There’s a reason it’s called peter pepper, as well as Chilly Willy and simply penis pepper, too. But once you get past the laughs, there’s a pretty significant hot pepper here – a solid medium heat, hotter than a jalapeño (10,000 to 30,000 Scoville heat units.) In fact, it’s a terrific alternative to a serrano pepper, if you can find it available near you.

The Peter Pepper is an heirloom chile pepper known for its unusual phallic shape. Despite its giggle-worthy appearance, it is a fairly hot pepper, reaching up to 30,000 Scoville Heat Units. It’s as versatile as the jalapeño. It especially makes a terrific salsa chili and it’s well-known to make an excellent chili powder, but nearly any dish that calls for a jalapeño or serrano is fair game for the peter pepper.

Chile Pepper Fun Fact - The Pequin Chile Pepper  

The tiny yet potent Pequin Pepper!

Pequin peppers, or chili pequin (sometimes spelled “piquin”), are tiny peppers that mature from green to a vibrant red color and offer up some serious heat.

This pepper is also called the “Bird Pepper”, because it is consumed and spread by wild birds. It is a tiny pepper, (pequeno in Spanish means small or tiny) measuring only ½ to ¾ inches long, but don’t be fooled, this little chile packs quite a wallop. The heat continues to grow the longer the peppers stay on the plant.

It is sometimes confused with the Chiltepin pepper, which is a similar but different pepper.

The hot peppers are harvest for commercial use in Mexico, where they are very popular, though they can be found growing locally in the southwestern U.S. and south America.

The pequin pepper measures in with a range of 30,000 SHU to 60,000 Scoville Heat Units on the Scoville Heat Scale. That is quite hot. Compare that to the common jalapeno pepper, which averages 5,000 SHU and you’ll find the hottest chili pequin can reach 12 times hotter. It is closer to the heat of the bird’s eye pepper, or the more commonly known cayenne pepper. Bell peppers, as a reference, have 0 Scoville heat units (no heat).

Some describe the flavor of chili pequin as fruity, citrusy and nutty when consumed fresh. When smoked, the smoked flavor stands out. The greener, less riped peppers are typically used for making salsas and other dishes. As they ripen to red and get hotter, they are usually dried or smoked, then dried, and sold or ground for chili flakes or powders.

Chile Pepper Fun Fact - Sweet Piquanté Chile Peppers

What are Peppadews?

Peppadew is the trademark name for sweet piquanté peppers that are pickled and bottled by South African company Peppadew International Ltd. These peppers have a sweet flavor with a mild spice level and are sold in jars. They’re often used as a topping, condiment, or ingredient in dishes like pizza or sandwiches. 

Botanically, sweet piquanté peppers are known as Capiscum baccatum. They are one of the five species of domesticated chile pepper (the other four are annuum, chinense, frutescens, and pubescens). While piquanté peppers originated in South America, they ended up in South Africa, where a grower began to pickle and sell the peppers under the brand name Peppadew in the 1990s. 

Piquanté peppers are not known for their natural heat but rather for their sweet flavor. The peppers clock in at between 1000 and 1200 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) on the Scoville scale, which measures the heat level of peppers. 

Piquanté peppers and cherry peppers have a similar small size and tomato-like shape, but they’re different varieties. However, both are frequently pickled or marinated and used as condiments, snacks, or appetizers. While piquanté are often stuffed with soft cheese, cherry peppers are frequently stuffed with cured meats and aged Italian cheeses like provolone. 

Piquanté peppers are sweeter and smaller than cherry peppers. Cherry peppers tend to be hotter, with the variety known as hot cherry pepper or Hungarian cherry pepper ranging from 2500 to 5000 SHU. Cherry bomb peppers, another similar variety, are a little milder, ranging from 1000 to 3000 SHU.  

Peppadews or pickled piquanté peppers are primarily used as a condiment, whole, sliced, or chopped, on a variety of dishes. Drain peppers and use them to top pizza, sandwiches, wraps, and salads, or incorporate them into snack plates, party trays, antipasti platters, and cheese or charcuterie boards. They’re often filled with soft, fresh cheeses like goat cheese or cream cheese. 

Peppadews can also be used to flavor dips, spreads, salsas, dressings, soups, and sauces. The leftover pickling brine can also be used to add sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors to brines, marinades, and salad dressings.

Chile Pepper Fun Fact - You Have the Right to Remain Spicy   

ONLY MADE IN NEW MEXICO!

New Mexico has a state law that makes it illegal to knowingly sell chile or chile products labeled "New Mexico grown" if the chile wasn't grown in New Mexico!

If you live outside of New Mexico and want to buy New Mexico chile – fresh, dried, or powder – be sure to buy from a trusted New Mexico source. It has been found that some vendors sell "New Mexico chile products", but the chile could come from outside of New Mexico, making it illegal.