2016 – Page 7 – PepperScale

Berbere Spice Mix

A delicious Ethiopian spice blend…

If you’re aiming for authentic Ethiopian cuisine, getting to know berbere spice mix is a critical first step. It’s a blend that’s used for everything from a steak and chicken rub to a finishing season for vegetables and dips. The heat is mild – delivered from chili powder (a spice mix itself) and paprika.

This berbere spice mix recipe is quick to make, using pre-ground spices many of which are common to a well-stocked spice rack. For an even better flavor, try toasting fresh whole spices instead, then crushing them using a mortar and pestle.

Piquillo Pepper Sauce

by Matt Bray

Sweet and smoky…

Looking for a sauce to pair with savory foods? A simple piquillo pepper sauce can deliciously do the trick. The combination of sweet and smoke that piquillos bring to the table are hard to match. We double down on the smokiness here with a little hint of smoked paprika. Pair the sauce with chorizo or steaks for a perfect salty/sweet combo. Or use the sauce to bring life to simple chicken dishes.

The sauce is not overly spicy – piquillo peppers are mild in heat (500 to 1,000 Scoville heat units) and smoked paprika is relatively mild as well. If you want extra spice, add in a dash of cayenne pepper powder to fire up the sauce.

Purple Beauty Pepper: A Royal Bell

by Matt Bray

Beautifully colored and sweet…

Scoville heat units (SHU): 0
Jalapeño reference point: 2,000 to 8,500 times milder
Origin: South America
Seeds: Purple Beauty pepper on Amazon

There’s more to bell peppers than greens, oranges, yellows, and reds. Meet the Purple Beauty pepper – a bell pepper that ranges from royal purple to nearly black and packs in extra sweetness. Its looks make the Purple Beauty a lovely and unique sweet pepper for summer gardening. Served raw in salads they maintain their purple color, but cooking these peppers magically turns their color to a vibrant green.

Chili Vs. Chile: PepperScale Showdown

by Matt Bray

Identity crisis… For a food as popular as hot peppers, there sure is a lot of confusion over its name. Is it a “chili” or “chile”. Or maybe even “chilli”? These are all common variants, but is one more correct than the other? Why do …

Japones Pepper Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

by Matt Bray

What are japones peppers? The japones pepper (a.k.a. santaka pepper or Japanese pepper) is an Asian spice staple often used in Japanese and Chinese cuisines, especially Szechuan and Hunan dishes. They are “fire bringers” – providing heat to a recipe without a lot of flavor …

Habanero Aioli

by Matt Bray

A basic aioli is a go-to in the kitchen, perfect as a spread for sandwiches, as a dip for crudités and fries, or even as a sauce for meals. It’s a staple – a quick-to-make essential, though also a little boring when eaten straight. But when you bold …

Tien Tsin Pepper Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

by Matt Bray

What are Tien Tsin peppers? You may know Tien Tsin peppers by another, more descriptive name – Chinese red peppers. These are the surprisingly hot (50,000 to 75,000 Scoville heat units), dried chilies that you sometimes find in you Kung Pao chicken or one of …

Spicy Beef Stew

by Matt Bray

Hearty comfort with a fiery side… We love the pairing of traditional comfort foods with a little extra spicy kick. It satisfies so many cravings all at once. Take, for instance, this spicy beef stew recipe: It provides the hearty comfort food eating you’d expect with …

Gypsy Pepper: A True Charmer

by Matt Bray

Bold in color and super sweet…

Scoville heat units (SHU): 0
Jalapeño reference point: 2,000 to 8,500 times milder
Origin: U.S.A.
Products and seeds: Gypsy pepper on Amazon

If you love your peppers sweet, then there are none better than the gypsy pepper. There’s a sugary sweetness here, almost floral, not shocking since the gypsy is a no-heat sweet pepper, but surprising for its intensity as the fruits mature. Gypsies, with their thin skin, are perfect frying peppers, though the walls are thick enough for stuffing, too. There’s a visual charm to the gypsy, as well, as the peppers take on a hodgepodge of mixed flower-like colors as they age. They look exceptional in a landscaped edible garden or container.

Old Bay Sunflower Seeds

by Matt Bray

A perfect Chesapeake snack…

Sure, you can opt for the packaged options, but for us do-it-yourselfers in the kitchen, making it from scratch is so much fun. There’s a delicious simmering heat to Old Bay which we just love, so simple recipes like this homemade Old Bay sunflower seed recipe are right up our alley. It’s quick to make, and there’s that spicy seasoned Maryland crab seasoning flavor that makes you sit up and take notice. To us, it’s a perfect snack – simple, crunchy, a little heat, and a whole lot of spice. Oh, and let’s not forget healthier than most.