Jalapeño peppers and pepperoncini are two of the more common chili peppers you’ll find at grocers, and they are each well-loved by spicy food fans around the world. But how similar are they really? Do they share similar heat profiles? Are they used in the same fashion? …
Habanero peppers get their name from the city of Havana in Cuba, which is La Habana in Spanish. Despite the name, habanero chilies originated on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, where they are still cultivated today. Habaneros are no longer at the top of the list of …
Chili powder is the original Tex-Mex seasoning. It is a blend of spices that a Texan named William Gebhardt put together to make it easy for Americans to replicate the flavor profile of the chili dish, a stew also known as chili con carne. It …
Sriracha is an iconic hot sauce, not just for its versatile flavor but also because of its packaging. You most likely have seen the squeeze bottles with the green tops in the condiment aisles of your local grocery stores. The bottles are a distinctive part …
Both Creole seasoning and jerk seasoning come from a mix of European, African, and Native American cultures in the New World. The histories of these two spice mixes have close connections to slavery and colonialism, but they have evolved to become important components in the …
Gochujang has been a part of Korea’s food culture for over 1,000 years but only recently has it become popular among Westerners. Gochujang is made with meju, which is dried and fermented soybeans. The meju is combined with rice flour, salt, and a significant amount …
Not everyone grows up eating spicy food from a young age or having the perfect genetics for dealing with the pain. For many, the love of spicy food comes from exposure to new things and a willingness to experiment with the unfamiliar. As with exercise, …
The question of how to thicken hot sauce can be a tricky due to the fact that many recipes contain high levels of acid. Acids can cause some thickeners to lose their thickening properties. Even so, there are quite a few options for giving your …
The ingredients list for a standard salsa recipe includes some of the most versatile ingredients in the world: tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. And, of course, for many salsas: chili peppers. If you have run out of ideas for using salsa and have leftovers, you still …
Sriracha sauce, as many Americans know it, is a mild hot sauce that comes in a distinctive bottle with a green cap (read our review.) The familiar version is an American hot sauce produced by Huy Fong Foods from Los Angeles, California. What some people …
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