The secret to a hot pepper is not in the seeds. There is a misconception that the seeds in a hot pepper or the seeds that remain in hot sauce are what gives the heat craved by so many hot sauce addicts.
On the contrary, it is not the seeds that give off the fiery blast, but it is a chemical compound called capsaicin which is the active component of chili pepper plants.
Capsaicin is an irritant for mammals including humans and produces a sensation of burning in the mouth. Capsaicin and several related compounds are called capsaicinoids and are produced as a secondary metabolite by chili peppers, probably as deterrents against herbivores. Birds are generally not sensitive to capsaicinoids; pet parrots often love to eat even the spiciest curry or hot pepper as a snack. Pure capsaicin is a lipophilic colorless odorless crystalline to waxy compound.
Capsaicin is the main capsaicinoid in chili peppers, followed by dihydrocapsaicin. These two compounds are also about twice as hot as the minor capsaicinoids nordihydrocapsaicin, homodihydrocapsaicin, and homocapsaicin. Dilute solutions of pure capsaicinoids produced different types of pungency; however, these differences were not noted using more concentrated solutions.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Not to be argumentative, but if the seed is not the hottest part, what is? I already know that the capsaicin compound is what generates the heat, but what part of the plant creates the most capsaicin?
The part of the plant that creates the most heat is in the membrane of the pepper walls. The membrane is made up of super sensitive veins that give off the heat that we're talking about here.
That´s right. The heat is in the veins, or "venas", in Spanish.
Hola, mi amigo. Muchas gracias para tu commentario. Buena suerte.
Are there any secrets to growing peppers. I have heard of putting coffee grounds around the baseof the plant to stimulate it.
Post a Comment