2016 – Page 10 – PepperScale

Bishop’s Crown Pepper Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

What are bishop’s crown peppers? Few hot peppers have as distinctive a look as the bishop’s crown pepper. Its shape is unique yet familiar – looking like, you guessed it, a bishop’s crown. Its look – along with its ease to grow, eatable medium heat (5,000 to …

Aji Panca Paste

by Matt Bray

Sweet berry-like flavor with a hint of smoke…

The Peruvian aji peppers are so unique, even among their closest relations. For instance – the aji amarillo tastes like fresh tropical sunshine, whereas the aji panca goes to a deeper, darker place. It features a berry-like sweetness with a smoky undertone, and so it is with this aji panca paste. It’s used in many authentic Peruvian dishes and sauces to provide that wonderful sweet-smoke taste. But there’s so much more you can do with this chili paste. Try it with breakfast eggs or as a taco or burrito sauce. It’s also very good as the base for a steak marinade or simply as a steak sauce.

We love it, too, as a much milder alternative to chipotle paste. It’s sweeter and not quite as smoky, and at minimum half the heat to chipotle. If chipotle’s medium heat is not for you, the mild simmer of aji panca provides a delicious alternative.

Capsicum Baccatum: Berry-Like And Bold

by Matt Bray

Unique characteristics of Capsicum Baccatum

Literally translated, “Baccatum” means berry-like. This is a great way to remember one of the best ways to differentiate this Capsicum variety from others, as the pods have a physical appearance that is—if not quite like that of a berry—certainly more berry-like than others.

Capsicum Annuum: Common With Countless Variety

by Matt Bray

Unique characteristics of Capsicum Annuum

As the most commonly cultivated and popular species of Capsicum, this particular variety can sometimes be difficult to separate from other cultivated species with a similar appearance.

That being said, Capsicum Annuum does have a distinctive growth configuration that can help you to distinguish this species from others. To differentiate Annuum from other varieties, pay keen attention to the configuration and appearance of its flowers and filaments (the threadlike stalks that support the anther).

Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce

by Matt Bray

Smoky sweet…

Tangy sweet raspberries and smoky chipotle peppers are a dynamic duo of big flavor. We love the pairing in this spicy BBQ sauce recipe – then double downing on the sweet, smoke, and spice with the addition of brown sugar and smoked paprika. It makes for a delicious marinade for chicken and pork, or use it for dipping or drizzling to add impact to a more neutral ingredient. Pour it over cream cheese for a quick (and delicious) appetizer dip or drizzle it over vanilla ice cream for a spicy dessert.

Sweet Thai Chili Sauce

by Matt Bray

Sweet, sour, and spicy…an amazing dipping sauce and more.

What’s an egg roll without a delicious sweet chili sauce next to it? But that’s only the beginning of how this Thai chili sauce can be used. Paired with pungent cheeses and hard meats, it’s a tasty way to enhance the flavor of a simple appetizer spread. Try it, too, as a marinade or glaze; it’s especially good with chicken and pork. Or use it as a delicious sandwich spread to bump up the flavor of your favorite turkey or chicken breast sandwich.

Genus Capsicum: The Classification Of Peppers

by Matt Bray

Whether you’re biting into a sweet and juicy bell pepper or turning up the heat with a fiery habanero, you’re no stranger to the plant genus Capsicum.

Capsicum has been cultivated and consumed for thousands of years. In an incredible number of ethnic dishes around the world, peppers are an essential ingredient for truly authentic regional flavors as well as adding heat to just about any type of food imaginable.

But what’s the difference between a pepper and a chili pepper? Is a chilli something other than a chile and thus also different from a chili? Spelling aside, Capsicum by any other name is still just that; Capsicum.

Jamaican Jerk Wings

by Matt Bray

So many flavors: Spicy, earthy, and aromatic… Jamaican jerk seasoning is one of the more unique spice rack mixes – equal parts spicy, earthy, and aromatic with an undeniable warmth brought on by the cloves, cinnamon, and allspice in the mix. This Jamaican jerk wings recipe pairs …

Cherry Bomb Pepper Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

by Matt Bray

What are Cherry Bomb peppers? Boy, the Cherry Bomb pepper comes loaded with a lot of expectations due to its moniker. You may be thinking here comes a mouth explosion! But, really, this hybrid chili carries more of a modest boom, about the heat of …

Sriracha Peanut Sauce

by Matt Bray

Toasty peanut flavor with kick…

The next time you’re grilling chicken satay, think spicy with your peanut sauce. Sriracha’s sweet and garlicky heat provides a little oomph to the toasty peanut flavor. Or thin this spicy peanut sauce to create a tasty Asian salad dressing. Add a little lime (optional) to provide a tropical fruity tang. It works very well with the smooth nutty flavor and Sriracha’s spiciness.