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Why jalapeño peppers are less spicy (2023)

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Re: Why jalapeño peppers are less spicy (2023)

#61

Post by alamortsubite »

silverquiet wrote: post #28
tptacek wrote: post #11

The reason I took away from this: large agricultural producers of peppers bred towards a "low heat, low variance" standard, away from a "high variance" standard that produced frequent hot jalapenos. Low-heat-low-variance is better for mass food production, because producers can just dose the capsaicin directly, which is something they can't do easily when every pepper is a wildcard. There are second-order effects, li…

I think I like the occasional wildcard pepper - sometimes variety is (literally) the spice of life.

Be sure to check out Spanish Padrón peppers, if you haven't already. They're often served fried in olive oil and salted (see photo in Wikipedia article), as a very popular tapas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padr%C3%B3n_pepper

Re: Why jalapeño peppers are less spicy (2023)

#62

Post by arprocter »

tempsy wrote: post #47
tptacek wrote: post #11

The reason I took away from this: large agricultural producers of peppers bred towards a "low heat, low variance" standard, away from a "high variance" standard that produced frequent hot jalapenos. Low-heat-low-variance is better for mass food production, because producers can just dose the capsaicin directly, which is something they can't do easily when every pepper is a wildcard. There are second-order effects, li…

If you have had Huy Fong Sriracha recently you’ll probably notice that it is less spicy than it used to be. Apparently they were in a multi year lawsuit with their jalapeño pepper supplier based in SoCal that is specifically known for spiciness and they lost and started buying jalapeños elsewhere. Then the pepper farmer started selling his own Sriracha sauce.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sriracha_sauce_(Huy_Fong_Foods...

Re: Why jalapeño peppers are less spicy (2023)

#63

Post by PheonixPharts »

jseliger wrote: post #24
tptacek wrote: post #11

The reason I took away from this: large agricultural producers of peppers bred towards a "low heat, low variance" standard, away from a "high variance" standard that produced frequent hot jalapenos. Low-heat-low-variance is better for mass food production, because producers can just dose the capsaicin directly, which is something they can't do easily when every pepper is a wildcard. There are second-order effects, li…

Less spicy is actually good. I prefer more flavorful chiles, with less spice. Mark Miller's conversation with Tyler Cowen is good on this subject: https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/mark-miller/ . Chiles are actually fruits and, combined judiciously, create a lot of complex flavors. Excess spiciness overwhelms the flavor. And people who want absurdly spicy peppers, can get them: ghost chiles, carolina reaper…

> I prefer more flavorful chiles, with less spice.

As someone with a fairly high spice tolerance, I've found a strong correlation between heat and flavor. I think anyone coming from a culture that eats spicy food will agree.

I had a batch of habaneros I grew last summer that were both the most spicy habaneros I've had, and by far the most flavorful. I've also had some very tasty ghost peppers (when used in moderation). Outside of peppers that are inherently not spicy, such as pablanos, heat and flavor seem to coincide.

All of the most flavorful chili dishes I've had in my life have all been quite spicy, and I can't recall any mild chili dishes I've had with nearly the same punch.

The only time I've seen heat and flavor not connected is in terrible hot sauces which aim to be shockingly spices that make use of capsaicin extract.

Re: Why jalapeño peppers are less spicy (2023)

#64

Post by insane_dreamer »

tptacek wrote: post #11

The reason I took away from this: large agricultural producers of peppers bred towards a "low heat, low variance" standard, away from a "high variance" standard that produced frequent hot jalapenos. Low-heat-low-variance is better for mass food production, because producers can just dose the capsaicin directly, which is something they can't do easily when every pepper is a wildcard. There are second-order effects, li…

Has something similar been done with onions to make them sting less? Nowadays they don't bother me whereas when I was growing up, decades ago, I couldn't cut one without tears.

Re: Why jalapeño peppers are less spicy (2023)

#65

Post by elevaet »

not_the_fda wrote: post #25

I just use serranos now, they are usually hot, add more as needed.

I'm with you. They are so much like jalapeños, just smaller, spicier and usually really consistent. Although recently I had a batch that was disappointingly mild.

I think serranos must be very close genetically to jalapeños.

Re: Why jalapeño peppers are less spicy (2023)

#66

Post by dheera »

jseliger wrote: post #24
tptacek wrote: post #11

The reason I took away from this: large agricultural producers of peppers bred towards a "low heat, low variance" standard, away from a "high variance" standard that produced frequent hot jalapenos. Low-heat-low-variance is better for mass food production, because producers can just dose the capsaicin directly, which is something they can't do easily when every pepper is a wildcard. There are second-order effects, li…

Less spicy is actually good. I prefer more flavorful chiles, with less spice. Mark Miller's conversation with Tyler Cowen is good on this subject: https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/mark-miller/ . Chiles are actually fruits and, combined judiciously, create a lot of complex flavors. Excess spiciness overwhelms the flavor. And people who want absurdly spicy peppers, can get them: ghost chiles, carolina reaper…

I really wish we could have a habanero that is 1/4 as spicy. I LOVE the flavor of habaneros but their spiciness prevents me from putting too much.

That said on the flavor/spiciness scale a lot of the Chinese varieties are excellent. The chili peppers used in Sichuanese cuisine are actually not that spicy compared to habaneros or Thai chilis, which allows it to be possible to dump a bag full into a dish and it gives it a LOT of rich flavor.

Re: Why jalapeño peppers are less spicy (2023)

#67

Post by TulliusCicero »

ramraj07 wrote: post #12
tptacek wrote: post #11

The reason I took away from this: large agricultural producers of peppers bred towards a "low heat, low variance" standard, away from a "high variance" standard that produced frequent hot jalapenos. Low-heat-low-variance is better for mass food production, because producers can just dose the capsaicin directly, which is something they can't do easily when every pepper is a wildcard. There are second-order effects, li…

This has got to be the funniest responses to the problem at hand: peppers not spicy enough? grow your own..

I mean the other obvious option is to use one of the other varieties of peppers that are known to be hotter: serranos, Thai bird chilis, habaneros, etc.

Re: Why jalapeño peppers are less spicy (2023)

#68

Post by foobarian »

tptacek wrote: post #57
tempsy wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you have had Huy Fong Sriracha recently you’ll probably notice that it is less spicy than it used to be. Apparently they were in a multi year lawsuit with their jalapeño pepper supplier based in SoCal that is specifically known for spiciness and they lost and started buying jalapeños elsewhere. Then the pepper farmer started selling his own Sriracha sauce.

That's super weird, right? Because they could just dope the sriracha batches back to whatever level of heat they want. I make fermented hot sauce once a year, and I end up doing that too? And I'm a dummy? Are we sure this isn't just a market shift thing? Like: maybe they lost some heat unintentionally or unknowingly, but then sales went up?

Speaking of fermented hot sauce, do you have some recommendations? I've been trying to find a way to recreate Frank's buffalo sauce but pretty much every recipe found online uses Frank's buffalo sauce itself as an ingredient :-). I suspect the secret is some long-running fermentation process sorcery.

Re: Why jalapeño peppers are less spicy (2023)

#69

Post by aegypti »

jseliger wrote: post #24
tptacek wrote: post #11

The reason I took away from this: large agricultural producers of peppers bred towards a "low heat, low variance" standard, away from a "high variance" standard that produced frequent hot jalapenos. Low-heat-low-variance is better for mass food production, because producers can just dose the capsaicin directly, which is something they can't do easily when every pepper is a wildcard. There are second-order effects, li…

Less spicy is actually good. I prefer more flavorful chiles, with less spice. Mark Miller's conversation with Tyler Cowen is good on this subject: https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/mark-miller/ . Chiles are actually fruits and, combined judiciously, create a lot of complex flavors. Excess spiciness overwhelms the flavor. And people who want absurdly spicy peppers, can get them: ghost chiles, carolina reaper…

The gist of that article is using the correct chiles for whatever your purpose is, ie mulatos over anchos for mole vs simply making everything weaker and accepting less heat overall.

Very, very neat talk though

Re: Why jalapeño peppers are less spicy (2023)

#70

Post by jghn »

bobthepanda wrote: post #59
buran77 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> today's (delicious) sprouts aren't the same plant as the (gross) sprouts of yore For what it's worth, your (adult) tastes probably changed more than the vegetable itself. Even with the reduction in glucosinolates, few children would call brussels sprouts "delicious". Children are born with a preference for sweetness, while disliking bitter tastes. Both of these traits diminish as they reach adulthood. [0] [0] https…

We also generally know how to prepare them better. Most people these days recommend and prefer them roasted and caramelized, and that is a world of difference from the boiled to death sprouts of yore.

My understanding is that most of the affect is this. Cooking habits changed.
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