Habanero pepper

Habanero pepper is known to almost all connoisseurs of spicy food, but what is so special about it and how does it differ from the mini chili pepper that is more familiar to us? Habanero pepper is rightfully recognized as the most burning among its counterparts, as evidenced by Scoville's world-famous "pepper burning" scale.

Scoville was an American pharmacist who, in the 12th year of the 20th century, came up with the idea of ​ ​ figuring out which pepper is the most spicy. As a result of this idea, a number of studies were righteous, during which "test subjects" needed to eat pieces of peppers and wash them down with sweetened water. So, it was by the amount of liquid drunk that this scale was displayed. Undoubtedly, today there are more modern methods for determining the "burning" of pepper, but the Scoville scale is still in demand.

In addition, one legend speaks of the extraordinary qualities of habanero pepper. Once upon a time, Mayan Indians offered their captives the choice between being sacrificed to rain god Tlalok or having to drink two glasses of habanero pepper tincture. Interestingly, the captives preferred to "voluntarily" go under the knife.

Like many other species and varieties of hot peppers, the homeland of habanero is Mexico. Residents of this country are immensely fond of spicy food, and tourists are offered to taste dishes with habanero pepper in the restaurant. The visitor who ordered this burning pepper, the locals immediately begin to respect.

Habanero pepper is an essential ingredient in the famous Tabasco sauce, which, according to the above scale, is referred to as the sharpest sauces on earth. It is also not uncommon to make homemade hot sauce, which is a mixture of habanero pepper, cayenne pepper and Tabasco sauce.

According to studies, habanero pepper is able to satisfy the pain, but this is not due to its ability to exert an effect on the source of pain, but, rather, the effect of "switching" - burning about eating this product allows you to forget about unpleasant sensations. In addition, habanero pepper raises the pain threshold, for which capsaicin is responsible - a substance that also determines the degree of burning (the sharper the pepper, the more it is contained).

The unusually burning habanero pepper is especially good in recipes that contain tropical fruits or tomatoes. This scorching pepper is traditionally used to bring nuance to Caribbean barbecues, salsa, marinades and seasonings. The world even makes special candies with habanero pepper, which relieve pain from inflammation, as well as creams and lotions containing capsaicin.