Black pepper and red pepper are both fundamental spices in food cultures all over the world. Black pepper comes from the Kerala region in Southern India while red pepper comes from Central America. While both of these spices play similar roles — they provide heat …
Chile de arbol and cayenne peppers share some characteristics but aren’t exactly alike. How can you tell them apart? Which is hotter? Which will you be able to find more easily? Let’s compare. Where did each pepper originate? The chile de arbol is believed to …
Curry dishes can range in heat level from relatively mild to blisteringly hot. If you want your curry on the hotter end of the spectrum, you need to use methods and ingredients that build heat effectively without introducing unwanted flavors. There are several ways to …
You may see sambal oelek near Sriracha, that ever-popular hot sauce, but do you know what it is? Is it a hot sauce? A chili paste? Something else? How spicy is it? And what flavor should you expect? Let’s dive into what makes it tick. …
Chipotle powder and smoked paprika both offer a similar flavor profile and color. Both are red pepper powders with strong, smoky characters. While they are much like each other, they are not identical, so you should not expect them to provide the same results. Let’s …
Banana peppers and jalapeños are two popular chilies, familiar to most North Americans. They are common sites in most supermarkets and are often used in similar ways. But how do they compare? Is one hotter than the other? Are their flavors similar? How do they …
Chili is a Tex-Mex dish. If you are familiar with Tex-Mex cuisine, you know that it usually offers some amount of spiciness. Exactly how much heat can vary depending on the cook’s preference and the chili peppers used. If you want to increase the heat …
Paprika is known among cooks as much for its bright red color as for its fruity, sometimes smoky flavor. It is versatile enough to be a part of almost any dry rub and is a staple of deviled egg recipes. While you can find it …
Habanero powder consists entirely of dried and ground habanero peppers. Habaneros are among the hotter chili peppers, making habanero powder one of the hotter chili powders around as well. Like the habanero pepper, the powder is versatile and flavorful (fruity and sweet) besides being extra …
Sriracha is a Thai hot sauce containing chili peppers, garlic, and a few other basic ingredients like salt and sugar. The version of this sauce that is most common in America was made by a Vietnamese immigrant named David Tran who started a company called …