Fired Up About Chiles

The popularity of chile peppers bleeds deep into the food industry. “Ethnic flavors are a major trend,” says Tammi Higgins, market development manager, Kalsec, Inc., Kalamazoo, MI. “As consumers continue to grow and enrich their lives through travel and cuisine, their palates increasingly crave intense and bold flavors.”

We’re talking hot

Chile heat results from plant genetics and growing environment. “Hot, dry weather and soil conditions are needed for good growth of hot peppers, for instance in Louisiana, New Mexico, California and Texas,” says Nick Palamidis, research associate, French’s Flavor Ingredients, Springfield, MO. “Peppers need long periods of hot weather. The hotter the weather and drier the season, the hotter the peppers become.”

Capsaicin (trans-8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) is the source of the memorable burning sensation that occurs after the initial bite into a pungent chile. Chile peppers can range from mild to hot, and their intensity is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). A bell pepper, which contains no capsaicin at all, scores a Scoville rating of zero, while the “kicky” habanero can top out at 350,000 SHU. Pure capsaicin measures 16,000,000 SHU.

Chile peppers are the fruit of the plants from the genus Capsicum and are members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Although the fruit of the chile is generally considered a vegetable, its culinary usage is generally a spice, and botany deems it a berry. The five domesticated species of chile peppers are:

• Capsicum annuum, e.g. jalapeño, serrano, cayenne;
• C. frutescens, e.g. tabasco;
• C. chinense, e.g. Scotch bonnet, habanero;
• C. pubescens, e.g. rocoto;
• C. baccatum, e.g. aji.

Pick a pepper

Chile peppers are marketed and processed in myriad forms: fresh, wet, semi-moist, dried and frozen. Most hot chiles are harvested green (immature) or allowed to further mature for a more richly flavored note. They can be used fresh in dips, relishes, salsas, and sauces, and for flavoring many cooked dishes. They also can be bottled in condiments, such as hot sauce and giardiniera, or dried and ground for use as spices or spice blends, such as cayenne and chili powder.

“There are many aspects to developing a new product, and this is especially true when working with chiles,” says Dan Hemming, senior food technologist, ConAgra Foods, Omaha, NE. “The ingredient form plays a critical role and will have a direct impact on many chile attributes. For example, dry granule and powder forms contribute heat, color and unique flavor profiles, while frozen chile dices and strips contribute to visual appeal.” Also, he says, purées can be used directly from a frozen state for boosting flavors in marinades, soups, spreads, sauces and more.

Extracting heat

“Functionality of the product and heat values are a good start for a developer to know,” adds Jim Farace, research chef, McCormick & Co. Inc., Hunt Valley, MD. “As developers, we are always interested in expanding our palette of raw materials.” New product development formulations can occur through unlikely pairings of ingredients and by discovering new sources of heat. “Sweet heat is one trend we are seeing,” he offers, “and especially blends of chiles and cocoa powder or chiles and citrus fruit.” He is eyeing the piri-piri chile (also known as African birds-eye or African devil) for its versatility and intense flavor for applications in new sauces and condiments.

Traditionally, chile peppers are preserved through dehydration, and are subsequently crushed, flaked, ground or powdered. As an alternative, Kalsec offers concentrated extracts.

“The trend toward all-natural, green and organic is spread across the food and beverage industry, and continues to grow,” asserts Higgins. Extracts give product developers a choice to transition to concentrated liquid blends and formulate with a natural label, she says. In the United States, Capsicum oleoresins and extracts can be labeled “natural flavor” as provided for in Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 101, Subsection 101.22.

Extracts pack a punch in the pungency department. In modern commercial food applications, it’s crucial that pungency be uniform, predictable and consistent. Most varieties of Capsicum extracts are water-soluble and oil-dispersible, which answers this requirement. Extracts work well in myriad food products, including coatings, condiments, cured meats, dips, dressings, gravies, infused oils, marinades, sauces, snacks, soups and even beverages, such as vegetable-juice drinks and infused liquors.

Let’s get sauced

Of the hundreds of hot-sauce brands in existence, many offer liquid and dry formulations for foodservice and industrial use. The Buffalo flavor craze has spread like wildfire, sparking flavor extensions beyond chicken wings to include burgers, fajitas, pizzas, ribs, sandwiches, salads, salty snacks and seafood. “People are tired of the same old thing,” says Dick Corbet, Food Marketing Strategies, Chesterfield, MO. He says consumers want hotter, spicier choices on the menu and in the supermarket. He advises developers to adjust flavors toward regional perceptions and acceptance of heat and spice.

Varying degrees of heat are indigenous to the recently popularized ethnic flavors: Cajun, Creole, Caribbean, Chinese, Indian, Korean, Mexican, Tex-Mex, Thai and Vietnamese.

These cuisines represent a broad spectrum of heat flavor profiles. But, “people are just now realizing the depth of different cuisines and are willing to delve further into finding out more about food,” says Jason Gronlund, R&D chef, TABASCO® Industrial Ingredients/McIlhenny Company, Avery Island, LA. Americans are hungrier for food information and flavor innovation. “It’s like opening a thesaurus vs. a dictionary,” he says.

Deb North, freelance food writer, marketing consultant, and recent graduate of LeCordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, can be e-mailed at debubrat@bellsouth.net.