Matt Bray, Author at PepperScale

Kung Pao Pepper: Putting POW In Pao

Versatile, with very eatable heat…

Scoville heat units (SHU): 7,000 – 12,000
Jalapeño reference point: Equal to 5 time hotter
Origin: Asia
Products and seeds: Kung Pao pepper on Amazon

If you’ve ever dined at (or ordered from) a Chinese restaurant, you’ve likely seen on the menu a few dishes labeled “Kung Pao”. Let’s set things straight out the gate – these dishes aren’t named for this chili. Kung Pao pepper is a recent hybrid chili, and Kung Pao dishes have been around for generations. But Kung Pao pepper does taste great in this dish – and it’s perfect for using in Asian, Thai, and Sichuan cuisine – as it’s an excellent less spicy alternative to Thai peppers and cayenne.

Creamy Spaghetti Chipotle With Sausage

by Matt Bray

Rich, smoky, and savory.

If we had three words, that’s how we’d describe this creamy spaghetti chipotle recipe. The smoke and spice of the chipotle chili is matched well with the savoriness of the hot sausage and bacon. It’s an easy meal to whip up that’s big on flavor. If there’s too much heat, lower the amount of chipotle or choose regular sausage instead of hot.

Aji Panca Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

by Matt Bray

What are aji panca peppers? In Peruvian cuisine, the aji panca (a.k.a. aji brown) is only second in popularity to its golden bright cousin, the aji amarillo. But that’s in no way a comment on its flavor. In fact, the aji panca is just as flavorful …

Smokin’ Hot Habanero Burger

by Matt Bray

A burger with big ol’ bite! This one’s not for those with moderate spicy food tastes. This habanero burger is over-the-top and smokin‘ hot. It’ll knock your tastebuds to another zip code. There’s so much heat here, and in so many ways, that it’s a must to …

Peppadew® Piquantè Pepper Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

by Matt Bray

What are Peppadew® Piquantè Peppers? A little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, and quite a bit of pickled tang are the hallmarks of your typical PEPPADEW® Piquantè Pepper. It’s a unique flavor – so unique, in fact, that the growers have trademarked the name. Peppadew® …

Spicy Cocktail Sauce

by Matt Bray

Cocktail sauce already has heat in it. The horseradish sees to that. What Tabasco adds is a second kind of burn on top of the first, which is more interesting than just making the sauce hotter. Six ingredients, one bowl, five minutes of work. Then …

Cascabel Sauce

by Matt Bray

Smoky and nutty, perfect on enchiladas.

The lovely cascabel pepper offers a lot more than just good looks. Its earthy flavors – smoky and nutty – make for one flavorful sauce, especially for tortilla-based Mexican cuisines like enchiladas, quesadillas, and burritos. Try this cascabel sauce, too, with grilled chicken and beef. We like it without the cilantro to retain the full nuttiness, but some prefer the hint of freshness the cilantro brings to balance some of the earthiness.

Aji Amarillo Sauce

by Matt Bray

A creamy, bright yellow Peruvian-style sauce made with aji amarillo paste, mayo, sour cream and lime. Great with chicken, fries and potatoes.

Smoked Paprika Vs. Paprika: PepperScale Showdown

by Matt Bray

The world of paprika is surprisingly complex… You have sweet and you have hot. You have generic, Spanish (three types), and Hungarian (eight types). And then you have smoked too. Where does smoked paprika fit in? How does it typically differ from other forms of …

Guajillo Salsa

by Matt Bray

Guajillo peppers are well-loved for their smokiness and tea-like sweetness, and it’s these two flavors that make it such an excellent salsa pepper. Here mixed with tomatillo, this guajillo salsa has a sweet tang with a trailing smoke. It’s excellent finely blended and served with …