[CH] Heatless Habaneros
Rob Solarion (solarion@1starnet.com)
Tue, 17 Dec 2002 11:49:05 -0600
Seasons Greetings To All The ChileHeads! Here is an article from the
Dallas Morning News, published back on October 13. This is interesting in
that I personally have noticed that local grocery-store habaneros don't
seem to have nearly so much heat as a couple of years ago. Maybe it is
just my "imagination". Best Wishes For 2003! Roberto
*
LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (Associated Press) -- New Mexico State University
scientists say they've taken the heat out of habaneros with a new pepper
born to be mild.
The NuMex Sauve Red and the NuMex Suave Orange habaneros are ready to be
released to the chile-loving public. Seed is available from NMSU's Chile
Pepper Institute.
The researchers received the seeds from Houston chile aficionado Bill
Adams, who liked their mild flavor and sent them to the Chile Pepper
Institute. NMSU researchers conducted seeding trials last year.
As a special promotion for the new chile varieties, institute director Paul
Bosland and colleagues at NMSU's Agricultural Experiment Station passed out
samples of the Suave varieties to university administrators and students
around campus.
"They trust us," Mr. Bosland said with a grin.
The hottest variety of habaneros -- Red Savina -- is about 23 times hotter
than the normal tongue-burning jalapeņo.
"Habaneros have unique flavors as chile peppers, but most people just
couldn't taste them because they're so hot," Mr. Bosland said.
Eric Votava, a senior research specialist and chile breeder at NMSU who did
much of the field work for the mild habaneros, said the new varieties have
a citrusy flavor with an orange-lemony overtone.
"You'll feel a sensation of heat more in the back of your mouth and throat,
as opposed to a jalapeņo, where you'll feel the heat on the tip of your
tongue and lips," he said. "People can now taste these exotic flavors
without being afraid of setting their mouth on fire."
In the short term, the largest market for the pepper will be home
gardeners, Mr. Bosland said. Bigger markets will come later.
"For 400 years we had green chile, and it's only been in the last 20 years
that the mainstream commercial companies have looked to be part of that,"
he said.
The new habaneros look like a cross between traditional compact habaneros
and a Scotch bonnet, another of the world's hottest chiles, which often is
used in jerk sauces and Caribbean salsas.
In the field, the plants are taller than their hotter cousins and yield
about the same number of peppers, NMSU said.
The name "suave" is Spanish for mellow or smooth.
"We wanted to emphasize the nature of these chile peppers," Mr. Bosland said.
DEGREES OF HEAT
Chile peppers are rated in Scoville heat units:
577,000 Rating of the habanero Red Savina
25,000 Rating of a normal jalapeņo
835 Suave Orange
580 Suave Red
[COMMENT: 580? That probably isn't much "hotter" than a bell pepper! RS]
.