The Scoville scale is a measurement of pungency of chili peppers and other substances, recorded in Scoville heat units (SHU). It is based on the concentration of capsaicinoids, among which capsaicin is the predominant component.
Chili peppers, from Nahuatl chīlli, are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. Chili peppers are widely used in many cuisines as a spice to add "heat" to dishes. Capsaicin and related compounds known as capsaicinoids are the substances giving chili peppers their intensity when ingested or applied topically. Chili peppers exhibit a wide range of heat and flavor profiles. This diversity is the reason behind the availability of different types of paprika and chili powder, each offering its distinctive taste and heat level.
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about 5 mm (0.20 in) in diameter, dark red, and contains a stone which encloses a single pepper seed. Peppercorns and the ground pepper derived from them may be described simply as pepper, or more precisely as black pepper, green pepper, or white pepper.
Fuet is a Catalan thin, dry-cured, sausage of pork meat in a pork gut, covered with white, edible mold—similar to salami. The most famous is made in the comarca (county) of Osona and is also known as Vic fuet. Other places that have long tradition of making it are the city of Olot and the surrounding areas.
A chipotle, or chilpotle, is a smoke-dried ripe jalapeño chili pepper used for seasoning. It is a chili used primarily in Mexican and Mexican-inspired cuisines, such as Tex-Mex and Southwestern United States dishes. It comes in different forms, such as chipotles en adobo.
Adobo or adobar is the immersion of cooked food in a stock composed variously of paprika, oregano, salt, garlic, and vinegar to preserve and enhance its flavor. The Portuguese variant is known as carne de vinha d'alhos. The practice, native to Iberia, was widely adopted in Latin America, as well as Spanish and Portuguese colonies in Africa and Asia.
The chile relleno is a dish in Mexican cuisine that originated in the city of Puebla. In 1858, it was described as a "green chile pepper stuffed with minced meat and coated with eggs".
MachacaSpanish:[maˈtʃaka] is a traditionally dried meat, usually spiced beef or pork, that is rehydrated and then used in popular local cuisine in Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States. It is also readily available in many groceries and supermarkets in these areas. In areas where the dried meat product is not easy to obtain, slow-cooked roast beef (brisket) or skirt steak shredded and then fried is sometimes substituted.
The pasilla chile or chile negro is the dried form of the chilaca chili pepper, a long and narrow member of the species Capsicum annuum. Named for its dark, wrinkled skin, it is a mild to hot, rich-flavored chile. As dried, it is generally 6 to 8 inches long and 1 to 1+1⁄2 inches in diameter.
Rajas con crema is the name given to a Mexican dish consisting of sliced poblano pepper with cream. It is very popular in Mexico, particularly in the central and southern parts of the country. It is one of the dishes most commonly served during taquizas, together with tinga, mole, chicharrón, and papas con chorizo. Preparation of the dish involves roasting, peeling and slicing the peppers, sauteing them together with sliced onions, and simmering the mixture with cream. Sometimes chicken broth is added for flavor.
Chiles en nogada is a Mexican dish of poblano chiles stuffed with picadillo topped with a walnut-based cream sauce called nogada, pomegranate seeds and parsley, and it is typically served at room temperature. It is widely considered a national dish of Mexico.
The poblano is a mild chili pepper originating in the state of Puebla, Mexico. Dried, it is called ancho or chile ancho, from the Spanish word ancho ("wide"). Stuffed fresh and roasted it is popular in chiles rellenos poblanos.
Salpicon is a dish of one or more ingredients diced or minced and bound with a sauce or liquid. There are different versions found in Spanish and the broader Latin American cuisine. A salpicon is sometimes used as stuffing.
A guajillo chili or guajillo chile or chile guaco or mirasol chile is a landrace variety of the species Capsicum annuum with a mirasol chile fruit type. Mirasol is used to refer to the fresh pepper, and the term guajillo is used for the dry form, which is the second-most common dried chili in Mexican cuisine. The Mexican state of Zacatecas is one of the main producers of guajillo chilies. There are two main varieties that are distinguished by their size and heat factors. The guajillo puya is the smaller and hotter of the two. In contrast, the longer and wider guajillo has a more pronounced, richer flavor and is somewhat less spicy. With a rating of 2,500 to 5,000 on the Scoville scale, its heat is considered mild to medium.
Mole, pronounced[ˈmole], from Nahuatl mōlli meaning "sauce", is a traditional sauce and marinade originally used in Mexican cuisine. In contemporary Mexico the term is used for a number of sauces, some quite dissimilar, including mole amarillo or amarillito, mole chichilo, mole colorado or coloradito, mole manchamantel or manchamanteles, mole negro, mole rojo, mole verde, mole poblano, mole almendrado, mole michoacano, mole prieto, mole ranchero, mole tamaulipeco, mole xiqueno, mole pipián, mole rosa, mole blanco, chimole, guacamole and huaxmole.
Ema datshi is a Bhutanese dish made from hot chili peppers and cheese. It is among the most famous dishes in Bhutanese cuisine, recognized as a national dish of Bhutan. "Ema" means "chili" and "datshi" means "cheese" in the Dzongkha language of Bhutan.
Ají panca, Peruvian red pepper, is a variety of Capsicum chinense grown in Peru and used in Peruvian cuisine. It is commonly grown on the coast of Peru and measures 3 to 5 in long and 1 to 1.5 in across. It has thick flesh and fruity overtones, it turns deep red to burgundy when ripe. It is commonly sun-dried at the farms and sold dry. It is very mild and if deseeded and deveined is considered to have no heat but is instead used for its flavor and color.
The Chimayópepper is a New Mexico chile pepper landrace of the species Capsicum annuum. It is named after the town of Chimayó, New Mexico, where roughly 200 hectares of Chimayó peppers are harvested annually. It is considered one of the two best chiles in the state, the others being those grown in Hatch. The pepper is so prized that powdered Chimayó pepper can cost as much as $45 per pound. Chimayó chiles have a complex flavor described as sweet and smoky, and are extremely popular in New Mexican cuisine for making posole and carne adovada.
Chileatole is a Mexican cuisine dish. It is a type of thick soup made of corn masa or corn kernels, which is cooked with corn chunks, epazote, salt, and a sauce made of chili peppers and pumpkin leaves. It is served hot.
Ancho Reyes is a brand of chile liqueur produced in Puebla City, Mexico, based on a 1927 recipe from the same city. The liqueur is made from and named after Puebla's renowned ancho chiles, a dried form of ripe poblano peppers.
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