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Common Culinary Peppers

"The fruits of the chile plant concern us most. Of these there is astonishing variety. Almost all chiles are green when imature, though some appear white or yellow or purplish. (I once encountered pale white chiles deep in the bush on southwest Espiritu Santo Island, in the South Pacific. They were screaming hot, and since the locals had no particular name for them, I dubbed them Santo hots.) As a rule, mature chiles are red, orange, or yellow. This coloration is due to the presence of a red caratenoid known as capsanthin. The shape of chiles varies greatly. The cayenne variety is long, slender, and tapered; the cherry variety looks like a small tomato; the jalapeno is smooth and bulbous; the searing-hot chiltepin is small and shaped like a fat fingertip; and the flaming habanero is bulbous and irregular. However, chiles do not conform to a specific shape, size, or color, and there can be tremendous variations in heat level among peppers of the same species. One habanero may be quite tolerable, but another may simply blow your head off and leave you weeping and gasping for air. Chiles are sneaky that way. You can never assume that you have them figured out."

Chris Kilham, Psyche Delicacies

All pictures on this page courtesy of Cross Country Nurseries
Copyright (c) Cross Country Nurseries

Photo	Heat	Description
	500-1,000 Scoville Units (SU)	Anaheim About 6 inches long, and 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Used in both its green form and its fully ripened red form (pictured here). Sweeter when fully ripened. A milder pepper, with a wide range of uses. Good in sauces, stews, stuffed, or grilled. Flavor is improved by roasting. Originally grown in Anaheim, California.
	30,000-50,000 SU	Cayenne Buists Yellow 2-4 inches long, and about 1/2 an inch across. Often used as cayenne powder. In its dried form it has a pungent, smoky flavor that is tart and acidic. Commonly used in sauces, soups, and stews.
	100,000-300,000 SU	Habanero Orange 2 inches long, and 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 inches in diameter. May be green, yellow, orange, or red, depending on variety and ripeness. The ultimate in hotness; fierce heat with a slightly fruity flavor. Different types of habanero vary widely in spice level. Use judiciously; one pepper is enough for a whole crockpot of beans (for most people). Great for black beans and rice, chili, and used in many hot sauces.
	2,500-5,000 SU	Jalepeno Jumbo Perhaps the most widley known and consumed chile in the US. Said to be the first chile taken into space. Tart in flavor when green, sweeter when red (fully ripened). Can be used in many ways: top off your nachos, spice up whatever you're making for dinner, roast them, or stuff them. Named after the Mexican town Jalapa, in Veracruz.
	2,500-5,000 SU	Jalapeno M 2-3 inches long, and 1-1 1/2 inches in diameter. Perhaps the most widley known and consumed chile in the US. Said to be the first chile taken into space. More tart in flavor when green, sweeter when red (fully ripened). Can be used in many ways: top off your nachos, spice up whatever you're making for dinner, roast them, or stuff them. Named afterthe Mexican town Jalapa, in Veracruz.
	not listed	Rellano Ecuador Sweet
	100,000-300,000 SU	Scotch Bonnet 1-1 1/2 inches long, 1-1 1/2 inches in diameter May be a pale yellow-green, orange, or red. Closely related to the habanero and Jamaican hot. Fiery hot, with a slightly fruity and smoky flavor. Key ingredient in jerk sauce and Caribbean curries.
	5,000-15,000	Serrano 1-2 inches long, and 1/2-3/4 inch in diameter. Bright dark green to scarlet when ripe. Fresh, sharp, clean, biting heat. Good in salsas, sauces, pickled or roasted. Substitute for Thai peppers at a rate of three serranos for one Thai pepper. Often used decoratively, for a splash of color.
	50,000-100,000 SU	Thai Red 1 1/2 inches long, and 1/4 inch in diameter. Bright green to red when ripe. Produces a nice lingering heat that goes well with sweet and rich flavors. Primarily used in Southeast Asian cuisine.