Mole Poblano

One of our products that sold surprisingly well at the Eastnor Castle Festival was our Chilli Chocolate Sauce.  Many people bought it without really knowing what to do with it but could see immediately on tasting it that it would add a richness and intensity to any stew or casserole.  It is actually a Mole Poblano sauce and is a classic version of the Mexican sauce that forms the basis of the famous dark mole stews from Oxaco in southern Mexico.

Mole is is a generic term that describes both the numerous versions of this sauce and the dishes it is used to create.  Moles come in a variety of flavours and are made with many different ingredients but all contain at least one variety of chilli pepper.  Mole Poblano is a dark brown sauce served over meat, usually chicken or turkey.

There are many legends as to the origins of the Mole the most popular of which tells the story of a group of poor nuns combining all the ingredients they had in their kitchen to prepare a meal for a visiting archbishop and accidentally coming up with a winner.  Another theory is that it was originally developed by the Aztecs.  Mole actually represents the mixed heritage of Mexico combining ingredients from North America, Europe and Africa and has probably simply evolved over time.

Whatever the ingredients the process is similar.  They are generally all roasted and ground to a fine paste or powder using a method that is very labour intensive and can take at least a day to complete.
This paste or powder is then mixed with water and simmered in a heavy cauldron, stirring constantly until it is thick and pungent.  In Mexico it is traditionally served as a sauce for turkey but is also eaten over chicken or even eggs at breakfast.

Mole Poblano is the best known of all the Moles outside Mexico and has even been seen as the National Dish of Mexico.  A Mole Poblano will typically contain up to 20 ingredients including the  "Holy Trinity" of Chillies, the Ancho, Mulato and Pasilla.  The Mulato is a dark chocolate brown pepper with a mild smoky flavour with hints of liquorice and cherries, the Ancho is a very dark red, mild and sweet fruity flavoured chilli and the Passilla similar to the Ancho but brown with a more herby flavour.

Our Mole Poblano combines the Holy Trinity with other spices, onions, tomatoes and dark Belgian chocolate to create a delicious Chilli Chocolate Sauce.  Try it in the traditional way melted and served over turkey or chicken or add a tablespoon to your next Chilli Con Carne.  For a special occasion we recommend adding it to a venison casserole.

Please let us know if you have used it in other ways or have other ideas about how to and feel free to share your recipes with us.

Eastnor Chilli Festival

So, we've done our first ever Chilli Festival at Eastnor Castle on the 6th and 7th of May!
Thanks to all of you who visited our stall and an even bigger thanks to those of you who bought some of our products.  We really enjoyed ourselves and it looked as though the visitors all did too!
It was a really successful weekend and the weather was just about OK.  Although the whole place was waterlogged from the appalling excess of April showers, it just about held out with a dry Sunday and a damp Monday but the bad rain only really kicked in when we were packing up to leave.
For us it was a big learning experience, especially around setting up the stall and displaying our products. We met some of our fellow chilli retailers and some of our own suppliers for the very first time.  We also met the source of the inspiration for the event, David Floyd from the Chile Foundry who wrote a great review of the event.
We were busier than we expected and will make sure we take a picnic with us next time as taking a break for refreshments was almost impossible.
Our best sellers were the Montezuma's Chilli Chocolate and our Holly and the Ivy range of preserves (especially the Scotch Bonnet Jam ) and we are now out of stock of most of these but have another delivery expected this week.
We also sold one or two of most of our other products so overall we were really pleased.
Post-match analysis generated a list of actions which we have been busy implementing in time for our next one on the first weekend in June.

The Somerset Chilli Festival at Bath Racecourse on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of June.  We are really looking forward to it!  I won't be there as a I am having a brand new shoulder joint the week before but our son Matt will be helping Mike out.

http://www.somersetchillifest.co.uk/?page=home

The Scoville Scale

In 1912 Wilbur Lincoln Scoville developed a method of measuring the heat of a chilli.   This was officially called the Scoville Organoleptic Test and involved a panel of five volunteers tasting different chillies added as extract in precise amounts into a sugar and water solution.  The point at which the heat of the chilli was no longer detected by the taster determined the rating.  So, if a chilli was no longer detected after dilution 100 times its rating would be 100 Scoville Heat Units or SHU.  If it was diluted 1,000,000 times before it was no longer detected it would be rated 1,000,000 and so on.  However, as you can imagine different people have different tastebuds and the ratings were very subjective.
Nowadays the technique is considerably more refined and scientific but again remains a little imprecise as an individual variety of chilli can have different levels of heat depending on many factors such as weather, soil, genetic composition and many other growing conditions.  For this reason the heat of a chilli is usually presented as a range rather than a single number.
High Performance Liquid Chromatography, HPLC for short, separates capsaicin form the other liquid components in the chilli and calculates this concentration in parts per million.  This unit of measurement is the American Spice Trade Association pungency rating or ASTA.
However, most people still prefer to refer to the Scoville Heat Unit in the UK at least.  To roughly convert the ASTA rating to the SHU we simply multiply by 15.
Pure capsaicin has a generally accepted SHU of around 16,000,000.
So, if capsaicin is our benchmark, how do other well-known chilli peppers rank alongside this?
Well, as you might imagine, the simple sweet pepper has an SHU of 0 and jalapeño an SHU of between 2000-5000.  The Cayenne pepper comes in at 30,000-50,000 and the Scotch Bonnet at 100,000-300,000.
The quest to grow the hottest chilli in the world is a fast moving story.  In 1994 the Californian Red Savina Habanero hit 577,000 SHU and the well-known Naga Jolokia from India topped that with an SHU of 855,000.  However, in 2012 the Trinidad Moruga Scorpio hit an all-time high of 1,200,000!
http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/02/17/worlds-hottest-chili-pepper-identified/
The hottest alkaloid in the natural world is believed to be the sap of some Euphorbias in Morocco which are around 1000 times hotter than pure capsaicin with a Scoville rating of around 16,000,000,000!

Capsaicin - what is it?

Capsaicin itself is the active chemical compound in a chilli pepper which are plants belonging to the genus capsicum.

Capsaicin is an irritant to all mammals including humans causing a stinging and burning sensation on contact with the skin or mucous membrane.  It is a colourless and odourless waxy compound that is water repellant and probably exists simply to protect the chilli plant from harm.

Capsaicin was first discovered in 1816 by Christian Friedrich Bucholz and since then has been studied by many scientists and its many effects and characteristics identified.

Capsaicin is mostly present in the white pithy parts of the chilli which holds the seeds and not the seeds themselves as is communal thought.  It is also present in the internal lining of the chilli and, to a lesser extent, the other fleshy parts of the fruit.

When people eat chillies they often experience a feeling of pleasure and even euphoria and this is caused by capsaicin.  This seems to be due to the pain-stimulated release of natural endorphins which are similar to opiates which are widely used in strong painkillers such as morphine and codeine.

Capsaicin itself is used as a painkiller in the form of creams and patches that are particularly useful in the treatment of nerve pain such as that experienced in shingles.  It is possible that it may play a part in the regulation of blood sugars and could have benefits in the treatment of obesity and diabetes.  Some have even suggested it may have a role in the prevention of certain cancers.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2121443/Chillis-Good-news-curry-fans--spicy-dish-key-healthy-heart.html

The effects of capsaicin are often used as a deterrent in products such as pepper spray and pest repellants.  It has recently been proposed that its incorporation into certain drugs might reduce the likelihood of the misuse of these drugs.

Seriously, it is a potent and dangerous compound and in very large doses could theoretically cause death.  We recently watched a video of a Naga Chilli curry eating contest where the winner collapsed and had to receive medical treatment before he was able to receive his award!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJL7tXXd9xw

Like everything, "a little of what you fancy does you good" and anything consumed to excess can be harmful.  When consumed to excess capsaicin can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and burning diarrhoea.  If it gets into the eye or on other mucous membranes it can cause extreme pain and irritation.

At Capsaicinoia we are not promoting or encouraging the excessive consumption of extra hot chillies.  We simply want to celebrate and enjoy the chilli, its many varieties and its positive effects.  We want to have fun with chillies and hope you do too!

Capsaicinoia - What's in a name.

The name Capsaicinoia is made up of two parts, Capsaicin and oia.  Crazy for Chilli!


Let's start with oia which is a suffix of the word paranoia.  Paranoia come from the Greek word for  madness ("para" = outside "nous" = mind).  It is also linked with the suffix oid which means like but not the same as.  Paranoia is often used as a lay term for madness or craziness and at Capsaicinoia we are Crazy for Chilli hence the play on words around the oia suffix.


Interestingly the word capsaicinoid does exist to describe chemical compounds which are like capsaicin but not exactly the same as capsaicin.


Capsaicin itself is the active chemical compound in a chilli pepper which are plants belonging to the genus capsicum.  


Capsaicin is pronounced kap-sei-sin but we use a hard "c" as it has a better ring to it thus pronouncing it kap-sei-kin-oya.


Capsaicinoia is all about celebrating and enjoying the chilli, in terms of how it looks and tastes, and the positive and beneficial effects of capsaicin.

Welcome to Capsaicinoia

We are Mike and Jackie and we are passionate about chillies!  How they taste (of course!), but also how they look and feel and smell.  We are fascinated by their many uses and effects in all aspects of daily life and know there are lots of people like us out there. 

We used to work in the corporate world of pharmaceutical sales but always fantasized about getting out and doing something for ourselves.  This year the decision was made for us when we were simultaneously both made redundant.

As a result we decided to set up Capsaicinoia and our vision is to create a gift shop or emporium that sells only chilli related products for people like you and us that love chillies. Most chilli shops sell food related chilli products in the main and we will sell a selection of these.  What makes us different is that we will also sell a wide selection of non-food related products ranging from jewellery and kitchen ware to books and cards and even novelty items like our pepper soaps. Our aim is to source and stock our shop with a diverse range of the best quality chilli related products that will meet all your chilli needs and fulfil your desires.

We don't want to make a fortune. We want to create a business that provides us with a modest income, sells good quality products, and enables us and you to have fun with chillies!

We need your help to do this.  We have started small with a few categories of products and a small product range but we'd love to grow and expand this until we have truly created an exotic and rich emporium in the true sense of the word.  

You can help by giving us feedback on the site and shop itself (please bear in mind that we are new to the joys of web-design and are currently on a very steep learning curve), and on our products and the customer service that we offer you.

If you think or know of anything that you believe we should source or stock to help us build our vision please contact us with the details.