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Hot pepper lovers crave the burn Serrano Peppers. (Fotolia) Wednesday Oct 5, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Debbie Arrington The Sacramento Bee Mike and Patty Hultquist like their food scary hot with names to match. They gravitate toward Reaper, Scorpion and Ghost. When it comes to these superhot peppers, the hotter the better. “We’re like most chili heads,” Mike Hultquist confessed. “We have our own little bottles of pepper blends. When we go out to eat, we sprinkle a little on our food, just to give it that extra heat. It’s like carrying Tabasco, except our blends are made of superhots.” Virtually unknown a decade ago, superhots are the hottest of hot peppers, topping 1 million on the Scoville Heat Unit scale. By comparison, a jalapeño pepper scores a mere 5,000. The Illinois husband-and-wife team’s craving for more heat fuels their popular blog and website, Chili Pepper Madness, where they share ways to enjoy — and survive — all sorts of hot peppers. “There are researchers and home gardeners (developing hotter peppers) on a daily basis,” said Danise Coon, senior research specialist for the New Mexico State University Chile Breeding Program and the Chile Pepper Institute. “The trend to get even hotter keeps growing exponentially.” California now surpasses New Mexico, known to some as “the Chile State,” in hot pepper production, with more than 3.1 million pounds, although New Mexico still has more acres devoted to its signature crop. “The most popular varieties of hot peppers are jalapeños and cayennes,” Coon said. “Cayennes make up the bulk of hot sauces.” Interest in global cuisine has helped fuel pepper love. About one-third of people worldwide eat hot peppers every day, according to university research. And it’s about more than wanting to feel the burn. Hot peppers contain a natural anti-microbial that can preserve foods without refrigeration, an important quality in tropical climates. Peppers get their heat from an alkaloid, capsaicin, which is concentrated in the filaments that anchor seeds inside the pepper. Our tongues react to this compound the same way it reacts to fire, but without real damage, say scientists. (That’s why we think peppers are “hot.”) It’s also believed to trigger the release of endorphins that give our brains an addictive rush. Our taste buds gradually build up tolerance, so more heat is required to get the same reaction. At zero on the Scoville scale, sweet bell peppers are the mildest. Poblano, another mild stuffing pepper, rates 1,000. The current world’s hottest pepper is the Carolina Reaper, which hits 2.2 million. Trinidad Scorpion tops 1.4 million. Bhut jolokia, the “ghost pepper,” also tops 1 million — 400 times hotter than Tabasco. Scotch bonnet, popular in Caribbean cooking, and habanero, a Mexican mainstay, seem tame at 250,000. Cayenne rates about 40,000. Serrano, another popular Mexican pepper, is “only” 10,000 to 20,000, depending on ripeness and growing conditions. Sriracha hot sauce uses ripe red jalapeños, a little hotter and sweeter than immature green ones. The Hultquists make their own Sriracha-style sauce, spiked with superhots. “Always open the windows when working with peppers,” Mike Hultquist said. “Turn on the fan.” His advice to newbie pepper lovers? “Don’t kill yourself right away. Start with low-heat peppers, but definitely explore. All peppers have something to offer. Once you get past the heat, you discover peppers can be sweet or smoky. You can follow pepper types into different cuisines. Peppers open your palate to flavors around the world.”   GREEN CHILI-ROASTED CORN SALSA Makes about 2 cups 1 cup roasted corn kernels (1 cob) ½ cup roasted and chopped green chilies 2 green onions, chopped 8 cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon canola oil Juice of half a lime Sea salt and pepper Toss everything in a bowl; taste for seasonings. Let rest for a half-hour or so before serving. — Recipe courtesy Fort Worth Star-Telegram   GREEN CHILI-GOAT CHEESE SMASHED POTATOES Serves 4 1½ pounds red-skinned potatoes Sea salt 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons cream 3½ ounces goat cheese 4½ ounces roasted and chopped Hatch green chilies Pepper Put potatoes into a big pot along with a big pinch of sea salt, and cover them with water by 4 inches. Put the lid on, and turn the heat to high. When the pot boils, reduce the heat to low, and cook 10 minutes. Check to see if the potatoes are ready by puncturing them with a fork — the potatoes should be soft, but not mushy. If they’re ready, take them off the heat and drain them. If not, give them a few more minutes, and keep testing until they’re done. After you’ve drained the water off of the potatoes, add the butter, and give it a stir with a big wooden spoon. Now, with the hand potato masher (or just the wooden spoon), mash the potatoes, so some of them are smashed and others are still in pieces — we’re not going for a smooth puree. Stir in the cream, then gently fold in the goat cheese and green chilies — so the goat cheese will be in bits throughout rather than completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm. — From “Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking With a French Accent”   GREEN CHILI PESTO Makes about 1½ cups This versatile pesto works with almost anything. Spread it on toast, tart bottoms or pizza crusts or toss it into pasta. Dial the heat up or down depending on whether you use a mild or hot pepper. 3 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated 1 cup roasted and chopped green chilies 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil Sea salt and pepper Put everything in a small food processor and whir until it’s a chunky pesto. — Recipe courtesy Fort Worth Star-Telegram   CHILI-CHEDDAR MUFFINS Makes 36 mini muffins 1/3 cup bacon drippings or butter 1½ cups cornmeal 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 cup grated cheddar cheese ½ cup roasted, chopped green chili 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup milk Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and divide the bacon drippings or butter among the mini muffin molds. Whisk together cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In another bowl, mix the cheese and green chilies. Go ahead and slide muffin tins into the oven. Beat the eggs with the milk, pour this over the dry ingredients, and mix well. Fold in the cheese and green chili. Pull the muffin tins out of the oven, pour the melted bacon grease or butter into the batter and give it a quick stir. Spoon the batter into the muffin molds and bake for 30 minutes or until edges brown. Serve hot. — Recipe from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram   CARIBBEAN-STYLE MANGO-HABANERO HOT SAUCE Makes about 2 cups 5 habanero peppers, chopped 1 mango, peeled and chopped 1 white onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped ½ cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup water 2 tablespoons honey ¼ teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon ginger powder 1 teaspoon salt Add all ingredients to a food processor. Process until smooth. Add to a large pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool, then transfer to serving bottles. — Recipe courtesy Mike Hultquist of Chili Pepper Madness