> I'm kind of a newbie here, and would appreciate an explanation of "pungency" > and "heat". Several seed catalogs use both terms for different chiles. One > chile may be described as "very pungent", while another may be described as > "very hot" in the same catalog. What's the true scoop? Thanky, > Tom Tom-- Don't know if there is an "official true" difference here, but what *I* mean can be conceptualized by this difference: The difference between the *flavor and aroma* of habs and (for instance) thai hots. Datils are an extreme case of this. While they can pack a pretty solid punch, they have a *very* "PUNGENT" aroma and flavor that is different from just about any other chile I've had. I will sometimes cut open a few of them and drop them in a big pot of steaming rice (basimati or jasmine). The aroma infuses the rice and gives it a nice aftertaste independent of a very mild heat (unless you eat one of them....). Hope this makes sense! ed