Matt Bray

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

Peruvian White Habanero Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

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What are Peruvian white habaneros? The creamy white hue and small shape of the Peruvian white habanero (a.k.a. white habanero or Peruvian white lightning habanero) may make you think the chili’s heat is lesser than its orange cousins. But the white habanero packs an equal, if …

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A bowl of pale pink harissa yogurt topped with a swirl of harissa, olive oil and mint, next to sweet potato fries on a butcher-block counter

Harissa Yogurt

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Greek yogurt stirred with harissa and a little lemon makes a cool, mildly spicy topper for burgers and a dip for sweet potato fries and raw vegetables.

Caribbean Red Habanero

Caribbean Red Habanero Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

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What are Caribbean red habaneros? Don’t expect a typical habanero level of heat when you use a Caribbean red habanero. These chilies ratchet things up with a spiciness bordering on extreme (300,000 to 445,000 Scoville heat units). With a citrusy, slightly smoky flavor, Caribbean reds …

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A speckled bowl of brick-red berbere spice mix with a wooden spoon, surrounded by cardamom pods, fenugreek and coriander seeds, cloves, a cinnamon stick and dried red chilies on an oak table

Berbere Spice Mix

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A quick, mild berbere spice mix made from pantry spices, with ways to make it hotter and closer to traditional Ethiopian blends, and how to use it.

A speckled bowl of creamy coral piquillo pepper sauce beside sliced grilled steak, whole piquillo peppers and a dish of smoked paprika on a butcher-block counter

Piquillo Pepper Sauce

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A smooth, creamy sauce of jarred piquillo peppers, garlic and smoked paprika. Sweet, smoky and very mild, for steak, chorizo and chicken.

Purple Beauty Pepper

Purple Beauty Pepper: A Royal Bell

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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.

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Chili vs Chile

Chili Vs. Chile: PepperScale Showdown

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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 …

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Japones Pepper

Japones Pepper Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

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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 …

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Habanero Aioli

Habanero Aioli

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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 …

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Tien Tsin Pepper

Tien Tsin Pepper Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

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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 …

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