Hot pepper – turn up the heat

Roti, doubles, pholourie, pelau, Japs and wantons. What is the one thing that they each have in common? Oh how Trinis love pepper. Pepper sauce is one condiment that every food establishment has to have available so as to have even a marginal chance at prosperity.

I remember distinctly hearing a Dominican colleague saying, “Trindadians put pepper in everything. I think it even goes in juice.” Laughter rung out at this utterance but it is indeed true… Well minus the juice part… I hope.

For those of us who are not avid mouth burning seekers, this statement is meritless. For the rest of us, we can’t deny that in reality we add pepper, in some form or the other to most of our meals. It’s part of the seasoning for the meat, the flavour for the callaloo, the sweetness of any pot. Not to mention that more pepper is added to the food after it lands on the plate.

From pepper sauce to mother-in-law, it is undeniably ingrained in our culinary cuisine.

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August 2014 – Issue 11     www.sweettntmagazine.com

Who is a pepper mouth like me?

By Candida Khan.

I absolutely love pepper. Once it’s hot, makes your nose run and eyes water, you know that good. Did you know that it can actually help with weight loss? Ever sweat when you have some really hot ones?

I have not tried the local scorpion variety yet, but I heard that it’s extremely hot. It was the hottest at one point, but there is one that is said to be hotter which is called the “Carolina Reaper.” It was recorded as the hottest pepper by the Guinness World Records in 2012.

There is also another beneficial property called Capsaicin. Current research has found that it can be beneficial in reducing the risk for ulcers and promoting anti-inflammatory properties. Regular consumption can reduce pain in the body. Moderation is always key, but you should consult any health care professional before consuming large amounts of pepper to help with pain or ulcers. Capsaicin can be found in lots of varieties like jalapenos.

Some persons can even consume them raw. I enjoy raw jalapenos as I find them delicious! It can be beneficial not only to the stomach, but to the entire digestive system. Excessive alcohol drinking and smoking has been found to lead to ulcer formation and complications such as bleeding.

February 2015 – Issue 14    www.sweettntmagazine.com

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