Why do some milder chillies feel spicier than their hotter counterparts?

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Recently I’ve been making a fair bit of hot sauces and experimenting with different chillies. I’ve found that I’m able to handle (with some discomfort) a fresh habanero, but a fresh bird’s eye will floor me. Speaking with other’s who like spice, they have said thing like “I can eat Asian chillies, but can’t handle South American chillies”

Is there an actual difference in the chillies that causes a chilli lower on the Scoville scale to feel spicier? Or is is just anecdotal?

In: Biology

6 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

AFAIK there can be a large variance between spiciness within the same species. In Mexico, it’s a well known fact and its jokingly attributed to whether or not the cook was angry that day. 

 I’ve read that if depends on watering. A somewhat stressed plant makes for spicier peppers and plentiful water results in less flavorful ones. This can lead to huge differences.

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