Contributed by Jennifer Peachey

This weekend marks our first (maybe annual) chili cook-off. We've invited a few families to come share their favorite chili recipes. We don't have a favorite recipe, so I've been looking up new chili recipes for a while. We're going to try the Fruit and Nut Chili (see Main Course Dishes). Although this recipe is unusual, it does contain the traditional ingredients -- chilies.

Chili powder, cayenne pepper, and paprika are common ingredients in chili. They are all derived from the chili pepper fruit, also called the hot pepper. There are about ten different species of hot peppers that vary in colour, size, shape, and flavour. Green chili peppers include jalapeno and serrano; yellow are carribe and guero; red or purple are cayenne, hasilla and cherry.

The hottest varieties are the guera, habanero and japone. Just cutting these will make your eyes water! The hot taste of the chili pepper comes from capsaicin, a very powerful alkaloid. This substance stimulates salivation and causes gastric juices to flow.

A scale, called the Scoville scale, was designed to measure human tolerance to chili peppers. The jalapeno pepper measures between 1,500 and 3,000 on this scale. The cayenne pepper is between 20,000 and 60,000 and Tabasco sauce is between 80,000 and 120,000 on the scale. How do you handle this much heat?

The best way to soothe the burning sensation from these Scoville scale scorchers is not with water! Capsaicin is not soluble in water so, in essence, it just washes right by. Yogurt, breads, cooked rice, sugar, or sweets are all effective ways to find relief. To lessen the burn, avoid eating the seeds and white inner ribs of fresh peppers. The capsaicin can also burn your skin when cooking with them so avoid touching your face when handling hot peppers. You may even want to use rubber gloves.

You can bypass the processing of chili peppers if you buy them canned, dried, powdered, or in sauces. Pickled pepper rings, crushed chilies, or chili paste can be kept on hand and added to any dish. These add flavour to eggs, poultry, seafood, soups, rice beans, and dips. Hot peppers aren't just for chili, but I wouldn't want chili without them!

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