by conway Conway
Published Sun, Jun 26th 2016, 15:50 | Food
Most of us have a love-hate relationship with scotch bonnet peppers. You may love them or hate them but you certainly cannot ignore them. Don’t let the name of the pepper fool you. While they sound mild they are quite the opposite. It’s one of the spiciest peppers known to man. Have you ever wondered where it got its name from? Believe it or not but it was the shape of this famous pepper which inspired its name. The squished look of the pepper appears like a Scotsman’s bonnet.
This pepper is also known as the Bahama Mama and has its origin in Jamaica. In terms of spice, it is quite similar to the habanero pepper. Can this pepper be enjoyed without having to drink plenty and plenty of water? You could certainly try enjoying it but it’s definitely going to burn your throat and stomach. If you still intend on enjoying it, then here are a few important tips to beat the heat.
1. You could settle for the aroma of the scotch bonnet pepper without having to consume the entire thing. Put the peeper into your dish and let the fragrance spread and flavour your food. Make sure you don’t burst the pepper. This is an appropriate method for soups and stews which need the flavour.
2. To add some mild spice to your food use a couple of thin slices of the skin. Cut the scotch bonnet from the bottom.
3. Try avoiding the parts near the seeds as that part of the pepper is really spicy. Use all the skins if you have to and if you really want spicy food. This will surely make you feel a strong sting in your mouth.
4. Make sure you use a knife and don’t touch the pepper with your bare hands after its cut. You can impair your vision if you accidentally get any of this pepper in your eyes.
5. Cut the amount of required pepper and store it in a cool place, preferably the freezer. This will ensure that you never have to cut it again which increases your chances of getting some of it in your eyes.
Scotch bonnet peppers are extremely hot but can be enjoyed if consumed within reasonable quantities. It adds flavour to very bland dishes and spices up the food just enough if you use a little of it. If adding flavour to your food is important to you you’ll probably find yourself loving and hating the scotch bonnet pepper. These scotch bonnet peppers are ground with other items before cooking. You can’t make jerk seasoning without these peppers. Yes, true pepper lovers in Jamaica can’t stay without this and sometimes, they eat it raw as well. You too can try it! Slice the scotch bonnet pepper into slices and chop them into pieces. Then, sprinkle the pieces on your dish and mix it. Enjoy the lip smacking of this hot scotch bonnet pepper in your food.