Matt Bray 
We love breakfast heat, no doubt about it. So a little spicy hollandaise sauce (heat by cayenne) over a delicious plate of Eggs Benedict – just the thought of it makes us smile. But hollandaise sauce can serve many more purposes as well. Try it over steamed vegetables like broccoli or asparagus. It makes a delicious spicy white sauce for biscuits, too.
Scoville heat units (SHU): 0
Jalapeño reference point: 2,500 – 8,000 milder
Origin: Italy
Seeds: Peperone di Senise on Amazon
Few peppers define a regional cuisine as well as Peperone di Senise (a.k.a. the Senise pepper). With its delicious, sweet flavor and little to no heat, the Peperone di Senise is a staple of the rustic cuisine of the Basilicata region of Italy. While it’s used fresh (and simply perfect as a frying pepper), it’s the Senise pepper in dried form (known then as Peperone Crusco) that’s used the most often. Dried, it flavors meats, soups, and stews, along with a wide variety of rustic Italian meals.
Bechamel sauce just works when other sauces don’t. Don’t want a tomato tangy zing on pasta? Try bechamel. Want to add some homey heft to veggies like cauliflower and broccoli? Same. Yet that ‘tasty but safe’ white sauce can push the envelope still. Spice it up with cayenne pepper powder and your dish turns from simply good to more than memorable. It’s quick to make and fiery good.
Between the mix of veggies and plenty of spice, Cajun tomato sauce will really rev up that plain pasta night. Along with the Cajun seasoning, extra cayenne pepper powder is the “rev” fuel here. It’s a bold, hearty, and spicy sauce. Use it anywhere a tomato sauce is called for: as a pasta sauce, a stromboli dipper, a mozzerella stick side, just to name a few!
No Cajun seasoning in your cabinet? That’s ok – you can make it yourself with many common spice rack spices. See our recipe here.
Garam masala is typically known as a warming finishing spice, but here we turn that pungent warmth into more of a roaring fire. You can control that heat by choosing a dried red chili pepper that works best for your heat tolerance. Go mild for a simmering warmth or light things up with something extra hot. We offer some ideas below, but consider the pepper’s flavor nuances before use as they will have impact on the overall garam masala flavor.
Note, too, that garam masala is a finishing spice, perfect for spicing up the flavor of Indian dishes right before serving. It’s best not to cook with garam masala – rather use it at the end. Cooking with it tends to turn the seasoning mix bitter in flavor.
Scoville heat units (SHU): 150,000 to 350,000
Jalapeño reference point: 18 to 140 times hotter
Origin: Panama
Products and seeds: Aji
While not easy to source in the U.S. or U.K., the aji chombo holds a lot of sway in its native Panama. With its extra-hot heat and fruity flavor, it compares well to its Caribbean cousins, the habanero and scotch bonnet peppers. If you’re looking to make an authentic Panamanian hot sauce with extra kick (or any fiery authentic Panamanian cuisine), the aji chombo is your chili of choice.
If you’ve never experienced honey and chili peppers, you owe it to yourself to explore this surprisingly delicious flavor pairing. A little simmering of honey and your favorite spicy chili brings a fiery undertone to that honey smooth sweetness. Spicy honey is terrific in tea or drizzled over dessert.
You have lots of chili pepper options here, though mature chilies are the best option. They tend to be sweeter and spicier, less grassy and bright, then the youthful green chilies. Fresno peppers and red jalapeños are great options in the medium heat range, while habaneros or even the infamous ghost pepper can bring super-hotness to that honey. Take care when using the chilies from the upper-end of the scale. Use gloves when cutting and handling them to keep severe chili burn at bay.
Scoville heat units (SHU): 0 to 1,000
Jalapeño reference point: 3 to 8,000 times milder
Origin: Caribbean
Products and seeds: Aji dulce on Amazon
Do you love the fruity sweet flavor of habanero peppers, yet can do without the fire of the infamous extra-hot chili? Meet the aji dulce, also known as ajicito or aji cachucha. This habanero look-alike packs a sweet and smoky taste with very little (if any) perceptible heat. It’s perfect for mild salsas, sauces, and a must for Caribbean cooking, especially Cuban and Venezuelan cuisine.
Get ready….Sriracha marinade, in all its sweet, tangy, and spicy glory, will transform your steaks into something memorable. The famous rooster sauce pairs up with lime, honey, and Dijon mustard (along with other bold ingredients) in this recipe. Use it as a grilling marinade, or try it as a spicy dipping sauce for chicken or steak satay or chicken tenders.
French onion soup isn’t the quickest soup to make, but if you’re in the mood for a hearty, feel-good “soup-like-a-meal”, there are few that deliver better. We spice up this recipe with just a touch of cayenne pepper – it provides just enough simmer without disrupting the flavor balance. This is a memorable lunch just waiting to happen, especially with a side of sliced baguette. Just plan ahead…