> would appreciate an explanation of "pungency" and "heat". Same thing. We use both the terms "pungent" and "hot" to refer to the exact same characteristic of chiles. It just depends on your preference. I personally prefer using pungent. It has a formal "official" set of meanings of course, but the fact is this word is not used much in English (in America, anyway), so has no particular connotation besides relating to chiles and the effects of capsaicin, and therefore we could say its primary meaning is related to chiles. "Hot", on the other hand, is primarily used to refer to something entirely unrelated to chiles (namely temperature) and its use to refer to capsaicin effects is definitely secondary, and therefore confusing. Of course, probably the best term for us to use would be "picante", if my understanding is correct that this Spanish word refers unambigously only to chiles and the effects of capsaicin. I think I was once told that "picoso" is another such term, but I have some vague recollection like it is a more general term and therefore more similar to our "pungent". --- Brent