Matt Bray

Founder of PepperScale and Cindermint LLC. Sucker for a good scotch bonnet. Spicy food super-fan. Current fiery fascination: Datil hot sauces.
Pepperoncini Nutrition

Pepperoncini Nutrition: How Healthy Are They?

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Pepperoncini only slightly tip the needle of the pepper scale – only  100 to 500 Scoville heat units – making them a popular (and family-friendly) option to add a hint of spice. They are typically pickled and used in salads, sandwiches, and condiments like bomba calabrese. In addition to being flavorful, pepperoncini peppers have several properties that make them good for you. Let’s break down pepperoncini nutrition to see what makes this hot pepper tick.

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Komodo Dragon Pepper

Komodo Dragon Pepper: Fire Bringer

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Slow-burn super-hot…

Scoville heat units (SHU): 1,400,000 – 2,200,000
Jalapeño reference point: 175 to 880 times hotter
Origin: United Kingdom
Seeds: Komodo Dragon seeds on Amazon

Blistering hot is the only way to describe the Komodo Dragon pepper. With a spiciness that rivals (but doesn’t quite beat) the Carolina Reaper, this super-hot chili is no doubt for extreme eaters only. Like the ghost pepper, it has a “sneaky heat”, a slow burn that allows a lovely fruity flavor to set before knocking your socks off. And unlike most other super-hots, the Komodo Dragon pepper has a place on the supermarket aisle – at least in the United Kingdom where it’s carried in Tesco supermarkets throughout the country.

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Sambar Powder

Homemade Sambar Powder

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An exotic Indian seasoning…

There are a few lightly fiery seasonings that are musts for authentic Indian cuisine, and sambar powder is among one of the most important. It’s used to make sambar, a delicious lentil-based soup that’s often a precursor (or a side) to the main Indian meal. Sambar powder, too, can be a substitute to rasam powder for making rasam – a thin soup that’s typically served atop rice.

In both cases, it’s the popular Indian kashmiri chili that provides a light simmer of heat. These are mild peppers (1,000 to 2,000 Scoville heat units), but enough are called for in the recipe that you’ll feel the spiciness. 

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chili powder nutrition

Chili Powder Nutrition: How Healthy Is It?

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Chili powder is a spice blend that consists of powdered chili peppers along with other spices. The spices commonly used are those that typically show up in authentic Latin American cooking. They include powdered chili peppers, garlic, and cumin. The pepper in chili powder is typically …

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Slap Ya Mama Cajun Pepper Sauce Ingredients

Slap Ya Mama Cajun Pepper Sauce Ingredients: What Makes It Tick?

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Slap Ya Mama Cajun Pepper Sauce is made in Ville Platte in Louisiana’s Evangeline Parish, which makes it about as authentic as you can get when it comes to Cajun cooking. It was invented by Anthony Walker, who ran the family’s deli. According to the Slap Ya Mama website, he wanted a seasoning blend that had the authentic Cajun flavor without the high salt content found in nationally-distributed brands. He couldn’t find one so he set to work making his own version. So is the hot sauce the same ingredients as the seasoning? Let’s break down this hot sauce ingredient by ingredient.

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tomato rasam

Tomato Rasam

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A “spice-potent” Indian tomato soup…

If you love Indian spices, tomato rasam is a must dish for an authentic night of Southern Indian food. It’s simply served over rice as a filling meal on its own or as a side dish to a larger meal. This is spice-filled comfort food at its best. Tangy, earthy, aromatic, and – yes of course – spicy!

The recipe calls for kashmiri chilies as the heat source. You can increase the heat by using rasam powder – either as a replacement to the cumin and coriander (see the notes) or as an additive at the end of the steps. Rasam powder (see our recipe here or buy it here) is spicy in its own right, so it adds additional kick. 

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Mexican Bean Salad

Fiery Mexican Bean Salad

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A bean salad with attitude…

As a barbecue side, Mexican bean salad is top of the line. Not only is it tasty, it also brings colorful life to the table. It’s an explosion of yellows, reds, and greens that looks fresh and fun.

And then there’s the other “f” in this recipe: fire. Jalapeño pepper provides a fresh bright pop while cayenne pepper powder layers a heat undertone through the entire spicy side dish. This most definitely is a bean salad with attitude – which works real well with bolder meat rubs and sweet BBQ sauces.

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