Why We Love Cooking With Hot Chili Peppers

Photo: Gentl & Hyers
Some like it hot, while others...probably haven’t given chilies a fair chance. The piquant peppers come in hundreds of varieties that range from sweet and mild (like the shishito) to spicy and explosive (like the cayenne), making them a choice ingredient for pumping up flavor in soups, scrambles, stir-fries and more. Many are packed with health-promoting antioxidants, and, perhaps equally important, their vibrant hues guarantee a pretty plate.
Fresh peppers should have firm, taut and glossy skins. (Jalapeños may have small cracks around their stems.)
Wear rubber gloves when handling hot peppers and wash your hands afterward. Capsaicin, the chemical that makes some chilies spicy, can burn and irritate your skin and eyes.
To cook with a chili, cut off the stem, slice the pepper in half lengthwise then scrape out the seeds and veins with a spoon.
A recent study in PLOS One linked the consumption of hot red chili peppers with a potential reduction in mortality risk.
Get the recipe: Mexicali Chicken Stew with Chilies and Hominy Recipe
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Get the recipe: Mexicali Chicken Stew with Chilies and Hominy Recipe
Get the recipe: Tequila-Glazed Shrimp with Chilies and Lime Rice Recipe