Habanero powder Profile

Also known as

Capsicum chinense, and Mexican Pepper

Introduction

Capsaicin is one of the newest old buzzwords in the science of pain reduction. The alkaloid capsaicin is an active constituent in habanero peppers, generally recognized to be the hottest peppers grown. Since time immemorial, the indigenous tribes of South America and the Caribbean have used habanero and its cousins to combat pain, fight infection and spice their foods. Capsicum chinense is sometimes confused with Scotch bonnets and other fiery peppers that grow in the same area, thanks to a misnomer that dates back to its original discovery by European explorers. The popularity of hot peppers of all varieties spread throughout the world, both as a spice and as a medicinal herb. In Chinese, Japanese, Native American and Ayurvedic traditional medicine, cayenne and habanero pepper powders have been used to treat digestive problems, stimulate appetite, combat frostbite and reduce pain. Modern research has confirmed the traditional uses of habenero pepper, and many over the counter topical ointments and cream contain capsaicin, the active constituent in habaneros. The amount of capsaicin present in the fruit (which is technically a berry, not a vegetable) of a pepper is a measure of its fiery heat. The more capsaicin, the hotter the pepper and, most studies suggests the more benefit there is to the pepper's use. The heat of a pepper is measured in Scoville units, named for the chemist who devised a test for hotness in 1912. Though the Scoville test is no longer used to determine heat, the units still bear his name. These days, scientists use liquid chromatography to measure heat, expressing it in Scoville units. Habanero peppers rate between 150,000 and 500,000 on the Scoville scale. By contrast, the Tabasco and the cayenne peppers rate between 30,000 and 50,000 on the Scoville scale making habaneros as much at ten times hotter than their nearest cousins.

Constituents

capsaicin, an alkaloid that functions as a counter-irritant and pain blocker

Parts Used

Dried, crushed rinds and fruit

Typical Preparations

In ointment, unguents, or in food preparation. Sometimes found encapsulated and as an extract.

Summary

Precautions

Habanero contains capsaicin, a non-water soluble irritant. Precautions should be used when dealing with full strength habanero powders and fruits to avoid transferring capsaicin to the eyes or mucous membranes where it can cause serious burns.