Folks here in Texas are used to very hot weather. Lots of folks, even those of us that are transplants from other parts of the country, occasionally like our food just as hot. Texans consume a lot of chile peppers, and there are hundreds of varieties to choose from. Pictured below are four of the most commonly used in Texas, along with one of my favorites. The Scoville # (or "heat index") and origin follows each pic.

JALAPENOJalapeno (2.5K-5K) from Oaxaca, Chihauha, Southwest US

POBLANOPoblano (1K-1.5K) from Puebla, Mexico City region, California

SERRANOSerrano (10K-23K) from Mexico, Southwest U.S.

HABANEROHabanero (100K-300K from the Yucatan, Caribbean
     This one is incendiary, and used infrequently in recipes and salsas locally. There's a bar in Cozumel, Mexico called Coconuts. It sits atop the highest part of the island perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean on the windward side. They offer a habanero salsa that I like to enjoy with a cold Corona and a conch salad. Now, my head is shaved completely, and when I start on this salsa the sweat just pours off me in rivers. It's usually hot there, with a breeze blowing off the sea, and the sweat evaporating in the wind seems like tropical air conditioning!

CHILE DE ARBOLChile de Arbol (15K - 30K) mainly from Peru & Brazil
(my favorite for a smokey intense salsa)

HABANERO SALSA


There are several remedies for the effects of eating a pepper that is too hot for you, something that is usually discovered when it is too late. (Eventually, you can build up tolerance to the heat of peppers, and will be able to eat hotter and hotter chilis without having to resort to these cures.) Many people recommend drinking tomato juice or eating a fresh lemon or lime, the theory being that the acid counteracts the alkalinity of the capsaicin. Some people won't begin eating hot peppers without a pitcher of cold water handy, though this is not the best idea. The capsaicin, which is an oil, does not mix with the water but is instead distributed to more parts of the mouth. More useful solutions include drinking milk (rinsing the mouth with it as you sip) or eating rice or bread, which absorb the capsaicin. My advice, just eat another one!