Forums > Specific Focus > Mexican Kitchen

Rolly

Jan 1, 2007, 11:39 AM

Post #1 of 3 (1029 views)

Shortcut

¿Where does the heat really come from?

Can't Post | Private Reply

Here is an interesting article on the heat of chiles: http://www.thechileman.org/guide_heat.php.

Here is a quote from that article:

"Capsaicinoids are produced by the glands at the juncture of the placenta and the pod walls. It is spread unevenly throughout the inside of the pod although concentrated most in the central placental tissue. Contrary to popular believe seeds are not sources of heat. However because of their proximity to the placenta, they do occasionally absorb some capsaicin."

Here is a quote from a fellow on another forum who has been experimenting with the source of the heat and how it can be diminished:

"I took apart a Serrano and a Jalapeno this morning, filleted it trying not to go too deep into the flesh. Picture (Serrano) here you can see a slice between the inner membrane and the flesh separating the
two. Probably would have been as efficient to run the back of a spoon down it after removing the seed and veins and with a quick rinse that would have removed most of the heat as it would have to attempt to fillet. I do say that both chiles were very mild indeed after this, yet heat was evident to taste in the bumpy membrane. So why is this important? Because if this is true, I believe you can add the texture of chiles to a dish as a vegetable, and then use a control liquid to add a desired heat level as a spice or use the inner membrane juice and/or pulp in controlled amounts to add the heat back in."
From Gunner at http://groups.google.com/...ead/4481e2cbc798d6ef

Rolly Pirate