The History of Hot Sauces

According to the “The Hot Sauce Bible”, The Crossing Press of

1996 bottles containing hot sauce have been recovered from

archaeological digs as well as shipwrecks. Hot sauces have been

around since humans first realized that they could eat chile

peppers.

People in the United States had a love for hot sauces for a very

long time. Cayenne sauces adverts appeared in Massachusetts

newspapers as early as 1807. England’s Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce was first imported into the

Unites States from Great Britain in 1849.

Edmund McIlhenny was one of the first ever mass manufacturers of domestic hot sauces with their

Tabasco Brand Pepper Sauce. This sauce was first seen on the market in 1868 and is still been made

today. History reveals that Edmund’s first bottled Tabasco sauce was filled in recycled cologne bottles.

The McIlhenny Company has trademarked "Tabasco," which is why it's the only Tabasco sauce on the

market today. Tabasco actual refers to a geographic and political region in Mexico - where the Tabasco

pepper was said to originate.

Other similar sauces that are made with the Tabasco peppers can only be known as “hot sauce” or any

other names. The McIlhenny Company decided in 2006 to open a museum in New Orleans due to the

fact that they are so proud of their heritage.

Mexican hot sauces typically focus more on flavor than on intense heat. The sauces are most of the

time hot, but the individual flavor of the peppers is prominent. Vinegars are not use very often in the

Mexican sauces, but there is some sauces that have a high vinegar content very similar to the American

Louisiana style sauces. Mexican style sauces are also produced internationally for example the

Huffman’s Hot sauce and Kaitaia Fire from New Zealand. Chipotles are a very popular ingredient of the

Mexican Hot sauce industry.

The achiote or adobo sauces are less hot and are normally only used as part of dishes and can come in a

green variety as well.

Popular Mexican hot sauces include Buffalo, a traditional Mexican sauce as well as the Chile de Arbol, a

popular Mexican sauce similar to the cayenne peppers used in the Torta Ahogada dish. The Tabasco

sauce are aged in wooden casks similar to the preparations of wine and fermented vinegar. Other

ingredients may include fruits and vegetables such as raspberries, mangoes, carrots and chayote squash

and are normally used to flavor the sauce, mellow the heat of the chilis and thicken the sauce’s

consistency.

Chili pepper water are primarily used in Hawaii, this mixture is ideal for cooking. It is normally made of

whole chilies, garlic, salt and water.

The Sriracha sauce is an American variant of the traditional Thai hot sauce that is primarily made of

ground chilies, garlic, vinegar and salt. This sauce is often called “rooster sauce” named after the

predominant brand label. Heinz also produces a mild chili sauce and this style of sauce is based on

tomatoes, green and/or red bell peppers and spice. These sauces seldom Ely contains chili peppers.

This sauce is more akin to tomato ketchup and cocktail sauce.

The New Mexican style chili sauces differ from others in that they contain no vinegar. Almost every

traditional New Mexican dish is served with red or green chili sauce. The green chili is prepared from

any fire roasted native green chili peppers like the Hatch, Santa Fe, Bueno and Big Jim varieties. The

skins are usually removed and the peppers diced. The consistency of these sauces is similar to gravy.

The red chili is normally made as a roux from lard and flour. The dried ground pods of native red chilies

are added. Water is then added to thicken the sauce.

The West Indies produce the Caribbean cuisine, and are made of Hot chili peppers and vinegar, with

fruits and vegetables added for extra flavor. The most common peppers used is the harbanero and

Scotch bonnet. The latter is most common in Jamaica. Both are very hot peppers and are used to

make strong hot sauces. Over the years each island developed its own distinctive recipes.

Barbados developed the Bajan pepper sauce. This is a sauce based on mustard and Scotch bonnet

peppers.

Dominica developed the Bello Hot Pepper Sauce. This is a very hot sauce made from Scotch bonnet

peppers and manufactured by Perry W Bellot LTD, a family owned business that has been manufacturing

hot sauces for over forty years.

Haiti developed the Sauce Ti-malice and is typically made by Baron Foods Limited. They also

use local Scotch bonnet peppers, mustard, garlic and unions. They focus more on flavor than

on the actual heat of the sauce.

St Lucia developed the Baron Hot Sauce and is manufactured by Baron Foods Limited using

fresh local Scotch bonnet peppers, mustard, garlic and union. They also focus more on the

flavor of the sauce that the heat profile.

Puerto Rico developed the Pique – habaneros with orange.

The Picante Chombo D’Elidas is a very popular sauce brand in Panama. They have three major

sauces, the Yellow sauce made with habanero and mustard. Then there are the red and green

varieties which are heavier on the vinegar content and without the mustard.

Chili Peppers and Globalization

The truth is Chiles is an international phenomenon there is even an magazine called

“Chile Pepper” published in the United States and there is a very wide variety of chile

products available, including bells and strings of Christmas lights.

There is also a hot sauce club in America where members receive two new hot sauces

and a newsletter every month. There is also a popular American rock and rolls band

that calls itself the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They are really hot.

The secret of capsaicin

Chilis are hot because they contain capsaicin (pronounced cap-SAY-a-sin) an irritant

alkaloid found mostly in the interior tissue to which the seeds adhere. If the seeds are

removed it helps to lower the temperature.

Capsaicin has at least five separate chemical components. Three of these chemical

components deliver an immediate kick to the throat at the back of the palate and two

others conveying a slower, longer-lasting and less fierce heat on the tongue and mid-

palate.

Belonging to the same family as the tomato and the eggplant, they were introduced in Europe by

Christopher Columbus (unconfirmed) or early Portuguese explorers, originating either in the Caribbean

or Brazil. Magellan is credited with taking chili peppers to Africa, the Portuguese took it with them to

Asia.

Today, chili peppers play a significant role in many cuisines -- from Mexico, where they are used in

ragouts and sauces to the Middle East, where they are pickled whole, to North Africa, where they are

used to season couscous with garlic.

A possible medical miracle

Chili peppers are also believed to be a possible medical miracle. Not only

does the consumption of a single pepper provide a full day's supply of

beta-carotene and nearly twice the recommended daily allowance of

Vitamin C for an adult, but also that magic ingredient called capsaicin, a

compound found in the vegetable, controls pain and makes you feel

better.

When eating chiles and you mouth starts to heat up, you break out in sweat, your easy starts to water

and your nasal passages floods, do not reach for a glass of water because water is not a solution. The

best thing to drink is milk because casein, one of the proteins in milk, specifically and directly

counteracts the effects of capsaicin. At the same time there may come a strange relief and helpful

beneficial side effect. The brain will then starts to tell the body to sooth or reduce the pain.

A potential remedy for most ailments

So far, studies suggest capsaicin reduces pain associated with arthritis,

diabetes, muscle and joint problems, cluster headaches and phantom limbs. A

study done at the famed Mayo Clinic in the United States further suggests that

it reduces pain from post-surgical scars.

Thus, many people who suffer from chronic pain are now being advised to eat spicy food, either

as an alternative or as a supplement to analgesics. It is, then, quite literally, fighting fire with

fire.

A weight loss aid

Chili peppers possess other medicinal advantages. They alleviate symptoms of

the common cold by breaking up congestion and keeping the airways clear.

Did you notice that your nose and eyes started running when you broke out in

that initial sweat? A capsaicin nose spray is now being considered to relieve

headaches and migraines.

Chili peppers also increase your metabolic rate -- contributing to the success of a weight-loss

program -- contain an anti-oxidant that lowers the "bad" cholesterol and scientists at the famed

Max Planck Institute in Germany confirm Capsicum can prevent the formation of blood clots by

lengthening the time it takes blood to coagulate.

Fiery Food Facts

1. The burning feeling that makes chile peppers so appealing to pyro-gourmaniacs

comes from a collection of compounds called capsaicinoids.

2. Mexico alone grows more than 140 varieties of chile peppers alone.

3. When hot sauce is consumed, a common reaction by the body is to sweat,

particularly on the forehead. The scientific term for this reaction is gustatory

perspiration.

4. Capsaicin irritates the pain receptors in the mouth, nose and stomach, releasing the chemical

messenger "Substance P." This stimulates the brain to produce endorphins, a natural painkillers that

give the body a sense of well-being.

5. Capsaicin gives chile peppers their heat and is concentrated in the veins of the fruit.

6. The shorter the molecular chain, the hotter the chile pepper.

7. Chile peppers are cholesterol free, low in sodium and calories, rich in Vitamins A and C, and a good

source of folic acid, potassium and Vitamin E.

8. Is your mouth on fire? Don't drink water! Capsaicin, which is an oil, does not mix with the water but is

instead distributed to more parts of the mouth.

9. Many people experience an aphrodisiac-like effect when eating hot peppers.

10. When it comes to heat, size does matter. In general, the smaller the pepper, the hotter it is. All of

the world's hottest peppers are under 3" long.

11. The Guinness Book of World Records lists the "Red Savina" habanero as the hottest pepper in the

world. It measured a whopping 577,000 Scoville Units.

12. A scientific journal recently reported that drinking 1-1/2 quarts of Louisiana hot sauce, if you weigh

140 pounds or less, will cause death by respiratory failure.

13. In 1493 Christopher Columbus discovered chile peppers in America.

14. Capsaicin, the chemical that gives peppers their heat, has been associated with many cures that

include warding off strokes and heart attacks, lowering blood pressure, speeding up metabolism,

reducing cholesterol, treating colds, preventing cancer and pain management.

15. Ounce for ounce, chilies have more vitamin C than oranges.

16. Chile peppers can help you lose weight by increasing your metabolism.

17. Capsaicin (C18,H27NO3) is a colorless, pungent, crystalline compound.

18. Chile peppers contain more vitamin A than carrots and are low in calories.

19. Hot peppers add flavor to foods which makes it easier to stick to a healthy diet.

20. Chile peppers are known to reduce many harmful bacteria on foods.

21. Hot peppers can help curb your appetite - especially for sweets and fatty foods.

22. The ancient Mayans rubbed chile peppers on their gums to cure toothaches.

23. One out of every four people throughout the world eat chile peppers daily.

24. The heat from a hot pepper is concentrated in the interior veins or ribs, not in the seeds as is

commonly believed.

Pepper Mythology : Traditional Stories

In the world of traditional stories, myths and mythology, peppers, hot

sauces and salsa the Capsicums or Chili peppers are considered part of

the dominion of Mars, the ancient God of War.

There is a myth that says peoples who ate red peppers would be

protected against any kind of poisoning. The ancient Incas believed

that peppers would be a disruptive influence during initiations and

funeral ceremonies and therefor banned all kinds of chiles.

Ancient myths also had it that Chiles had a better deterrent against vampires and werewolves than

garlic, a holy cross and silver bullets. These chiles were burned at night to protect the villages from

attacks from these creatures.

Hot peppers were also often been used in witchcraft both to excise demons as well as ill humors from

individuals. In many cultures the chile peppers are often seen as a very effective way to ward of the

evils spirits of the world.

Myths also have it that deep in the South of the United States there is an African American legend that

have be told to make sure peppers are hot you must be very angry when you plant them.

Chiles were also used as a fumigant for pests such as bedbugs and rats.

Hot Sauce - Good for What Ails You!

Most hot sauces are good in taste as well as good for your health.

The Capsaicin, what makes chiles hot carr a bunch of health benefits.

Capsaicin is a colorless compound responsible for the spice quality of

the hot peppers chili, cayenne and jalapeno. The Native Americans

have used capsaicin medicinally for a very long time. Today the

compound is used both internally and as a tropical application. In

nature the spice capsaicin compound protects the pepper plant from animals that would

otherwise eat the fruits.

Capsaicin prevents the replication of prostate cancer cells, according to studies published in

2006 by the “Cancer Research” led by Akoi Mori of the university of California at Los Angeles

School of Medicine. Prostate cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United

States. This disease usually affects older men.

Capsaicin alleviates pain by wearing down the pain messengers in an injured area of the body.

It is especially effective when capsaicin is applied to inflamed or injured areas of the body, it

stimulates the pain messenger called substance P, a neurotransmitter partially responsible for

the sensation of pain.

Each time capsaicin is applied more substance P, a neurotransmitter partially responsible for

the sensation of pain, is released until more is available and the nervous system no longer

recognizes the pain in the affected area, this according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical

Centre. The pain relief is temporary and must be repeatedly applied.

Capsaicin’s pain treatment properties can also be applied internally to treat digestive disorders.

According to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, oral consumption of capsaicin

reduces the pain associated with indigestion. The compound depletes substance P, a

neurotransmitter partially responsible for the sensation of pain, in the stomach, and

temporarily relieves the burning sensation that characterizes dyspepsia. Capsaicin may also

prevent stomach ulcers caused by drugs used to treat inflammation, such as aspirin.

According to experts from the University of Michigan preliminary evidence suggests capsaicin

applied inside the nose can stop a migraine in progress. Migraine sufferers might also get relief

by applying capsaicin jelly to the superficial temporal artery, which lies directly in front of the

ear. Applying capsaicin jelly here reduces pain by half. This was found in a study published in

the international Journal of Clinical Practice in 2010. People with chronic migraines also

experience less migraine pain after repeated application of nasal capsaicin.

These nasal and jelly capsaicin formulas are available with and without a prescription. For an

acute migraine you can use the nasal spray at any point during the migraine. In one study,

published in the British Journal of Anesthesia in 2003, chronic migraine suffers used the spray

once daily for seven days. They applied the spray inside the nose on the same side as the

migraine. In the study using the capsaicin jelly, migraine patients applied the jelly at the onset

of or during a migraine attack.

Applying capsaicin nasal spray inside the nose produces a burning deeling that might last about

10 minutes, this is according to a study published in the British Journal of Anesthesia. To avoid

discomfort, consult a health care provider about application. If you have any heart or blood

vessel problems or high blood pressure talk to your doctor before using any capsaicin medical

products. If you are allergic to kiwi’s, avocado, bananas, chestnuts or latex you might also be

allergic to cayenne peppers and should avoid any capsaicin products.

Hot sauces can even battle depression. That's because every time you eat something hot, you

release endorphins and endorphins are the natural "happy drug" that your body produces.

Endorphins resemble opiates in how they work. They relieve pain and promote a sense of

wellbeing. They're often called "natural pain killers" or "the runner's natural high."

Hot sauce can also treat a cold. Ever eaten salsa while you've had a cold? The hot stuff can be

used to clear the sinuses.

Although it's not definitive, eating hot food, including sauces, may reduce high blood pressure.

Hot sauces may boost your metabolic rate and can help you eat less and feel satisfied. In other

words, it suppresses appetite and increases the number of calories your body burns. In fact, a

British study showed that capsaicin when added to breakfast foods or appetizers at lunch

caused people participating in the study to eat less during meals as well as afterwards.

Cooling down the chile heat

If you are ever in need of toning down the heat, here are some ways to cool

things down:

1) Keep on chowing down the hot stuff. You can build up your tolerance to

capsaicin just by eating more and more spicy dishes.

2) Drink beer. Some experts, especially beer lovers, swear by the cooling

properties of beer, which they say actually works better against the capsaicin than water. That's because

capsaicin is an oil so either alcohol or fat can cut through it, whereas water won't kill the burn.

3) Drink milk or sip up some yogurt. Milk and other dairy products cut the heat because of their fat.

Indians often make yogurt-based sauces called raitas which you can apply to a curry to tone it down.

4) Serve a starchy side dish such as fried plantains, bananas, rice, beans or bread. They will soak up the

spice and bring you some relief.

5) Just a spoonful of sugar or a sugary condiment like sweet mango chutney will lessen the heat.

Classification for the average cook

There are more than 200 varieties of chiles but we normally only see

about a dozen of them on our grocery shelves. Still these constitute an

impressive selection like the jalapeno, chipotle, Serrano, ancho, pasilla,

habanero, poblano, cascabel, cayenne and the tame bell pepper. Their

colors vary from burnt sienna and coffee to various shades of grass

green. They may be smooth like tomatoes or fat, rough and long like a

carrot.

Their flavors range from near-acidic to sweet. One chile's "rapid bite" burn smacks you at the back of

your throat; another's long, low-intensity sizzle lays on the center of your tongue. With factors such as

climate and age affecting chile flavor, pungency varies even within one type.

Chiles are normally divided into two types: green and red. All chiles begin green and ripen into various

shades of the sun from neon yellow-orange to lipstick red to asphalt black. Some chiles

transform enough in maturity to warrant name changes: the mildly hot, forest-green poblano

ages to a shade of tomato-red and gets smoke-dried into an ancho. We find green chiles used

raw, like the serrano, and minced for pico de gallo. Or we taste them pickled in vinegar ("en

escabeche") for use in sweeter sauces. Red chiles are usually dried, sometimes toasted, and, for

hot sauce use, either ground into powder, flaked, or rehydrated and puréed into a paste. The

nouveau-chic chipotle, a smoked-dried jalapeno, requires this last kind of preparation for use.

Technically, you could divide all the shades of salsa into either red or green. Later, salsa verde

would not have to look green; it would simply use green chile.

Serranos and jalapenos are the hot sauce building blocks; many salsas rely on their crisp, fresh

heat. Chipotles and anchos find their way into current specialty salsas and impart a deep,

smoky flavor that reminds winter. Timpone's Salsa Muy Rica and Jardine's Campfire Roasted

Salsa are some of the better examples of this. Habanero, a sickeningly hot chile the size of a

crabapple and color of intense sun, remains at the pinnacle of popularity in local recipes.

Though it is used sparingly -- often to boost the heat of other base chiles -- the habanero poses

a challenge to all but the most diehard chile fans. Other salsas boast of their chile concoctions,

such the Texas Six Shooter, which includes bell, habanero, and, though unrelated to the

capsicum, black pepper in their mix.

Chiles are also known to hold together a hot sauce. They bleed into vinegars and cling to fresh

herbs. Each hot sauce leaves a chile stamp, a heat memory, which teases us to the level of

near addiction. Chiles don't just punctuate salsa, they make a defining flavor statement,

transforming a humble chopped salad into something of substance and charm. However they're

cloaked by tomatoes, fruits, onions, and herbs, they impart immodest style.

Hot Terms

Aji: The name given to chile peppers by South American indians.

Anaheim: A type of chile pepper that is 5" to 6" in length, is green or red in

color, and has a mild to medium-hot flavor. It's often stuffed or added to

salsas.

Ancho: A dried form of the Poblano chile often used in Mexican cuisine.

Ancho has a mild paprika flavor, with sweet to moderate heat.

Barbecue: A method for grilling food over a wood or charcoal fire. Usually a sauce, marinade or

rub is applied while the item is grilled.

Capsaicin: A colorless, odorless chemical concentrated in the veins of chile peppers. It is the

active component of hot peppers and gives them their "heat."

Capsicum: The genus name for chile peppers. Capsicum pepper refers primarily to Capsicum

annuum L. and Capsicum frutescens L., plants used in the manufacture of selected hot sauces

known for their pungency and color.

Cayenne: A hot, intense red pepper about 2" to 3" in length, which is often used in a ground

form as a spice. Cayenne peppers are named after Cayenne in French Guiana where the chile

originated.

Chile Pepper: A rich source of vitamins A and C as well as folic acid, potassium and Vitamin E,

chile peppers are the fruit of the plant Capsicum.

Chipotle: A dried, smoked Jalapeno. Chipotle peppers are characterized by their sweet, smoky

flavor. Roughly 1/5 of Mexico's jalapeno crop is made into Chipotles.

Habanero: The "hottest" pepper of the Capsicum genus. Usually yellow or orange in color,

lantern shaped and about 2" long. The word "habanero" means "from Havana."

Hot Sauce: A spicy condiment used for flavoring various recipes. It is usually made with chile

peppers.

Jalapeno: A thick-fleshed chile pepper about 3" long with medium heat. Jalapeno peppers are

harvested when they are green or red if allowed to ripen for a longer period of time.

Jamaican Jerk: Developed in Jamaica by the Arawak Indians, jerk is an ancient island method of

spicing and grilling meats.

Mole: A fiery Mexican sauce made of chiles and unsweetened chocolate.

Pequin: A small (1/4" to 1/2" long) and very hot chile pepper. Also known as a "bird pepper." Its

heat is slow to burn but lasts on the taste buds for a long time.

Poblano: A mild-to-medium hot pepper that is dark green, shiny and 3" to 5" long. The Poblano

pepper is commonly used for making Chiles Rellenos.

Pungency: A strong odor or taste property. Commonly used to describe the heat of chile

peppers.

Raita: An Indian condiment based on yogurt. It is often served as an accompaniment to spicy

dishes to counterbalance their heat.

Red Savina: The hottest chile pepper on earth. The Red Savina is a type of Habanero pepper

with a Scoville unit rating of over 570,000.

Rellenos: A culinary dish of stuffed fresh New Mexican or Poblano peppers.

Ristra: Chile peppers that have been tied on a string and hang vertically. Used for storage and

decoration.

Salsa: The Spanish term for "sauce," salsa can be cooked or raw and comes in an infinite

number of flavors and variations. It is a condiment on a variety of foods and often used as a dip

for chips.

Scotch Bonnet: One of the hottest chile peppers, the Scotch Bonnet (1" to 1-1/2" long) is

closely related to the Habanero pepper and ranges in color from yellow to red.

Scoville Heat Unit: Invented by Wilbur Scoville to measure the "heat" of chile peppers. It is

based on the amount of sugar-water necessary to entirely cancel the heat of a chile.

Serrano: Often used in salsas, Serrano peppers (1" to 2" long) are dark green to red in color and

have a medium heat. "Serrano" is a Spanish adjective for "from the mountains." Serrano

peppers originated in the mountainous regions of Puebla and Hidalgo, Mexico.

Tabasco: Both a Mexican state as well as a trademarked hot sauce from Louisiana that consists

of red chile peppers, salt and vinegar.

Wasabi: A condiment used with sushi, wasabi is a green paste made from a Japanese

horseradish root, also known as "Wasabia japonica."

Growing Peppers

Site Preparation:

Most peppers are annual plants, lasting only one season. They require full

sun, fast draining soil and regular water. Peppers grow best when

temperatures are warm and need substantial heat to set fruit. They tolerate

drought, but do best in soil that is evenly moist but not soggy. Prior to

planting, mix plenty of compost into your garden area.

How to Plant:

Peppers should be planted after the soil has warmed in the spring, or in a greenhouse. The night time

temperature must remain above 55 degrees F. In traditional rows, space peppers 1-1/2 feet apart. Or

grow them in raised beds, with 1-1/2 feet between plants in all directions. Provide support for varieties

that grow over a foot tall. Apply a balanced all-purpose fertilizer once or twice after the plants become

established, before blossoms set. Side-dressings of kelp can help offset potassium deficiency, and bone

meal can supply needed phosphorous and calcium.

Harvesting:

Harvest peppers early and often - the more you pick, the more the plants will produce. Most varieties

can be eaten when they are green and under-ripe, although the flavor improves as they mature. Always

cut, don't pull, peppers from the plant. Allow 65 to 80 days from transplant to harvest.

Insects and Diseases:

Peppers are susceptible to many insect pests, including aphids, cutworm, leafminer and flea beetles,

which chew many tiny holes in the leaves of your plants. Common plant diseases include anthracnose,

bacterial spot, mosaic and blossom end rot.

Seed Saving Instructions:

Peppers will cross-pollinate, so separate by at least 500 feet or plant in insect proof cages covered with

window screen. Select peppers that are ripe, fully colored and show no signs of disease to save for seed.

Remove seeds off the core and onto a paper plate to dry.

Note :. The information in this report was gathered from various sources and is not the view of

Albaryllo. If the reader wants to test or use any of these views they do it at their own risk. We advise

our readers to consult their doctor before using any of the medical advice mentioned in this report.

The sole purpose of this report is to educate the reader on the history, facts and uses of chiles and

peppers.