Q: Dear Dave,I was wondering if there such a thing as a red habanero chile pepper plant species that has smooth leaves, versus the typical wrinkled leaves? I am wondering whether the ’Barbados Hot Pepper’ has wrinkled or smooth leaves?Regards, Graeme A: Hello Graeme:A red habanero without wrinkled leaves would be highly unusual and I’ve never seen one. When I was …
Naga Jolokia
Q: Hi Dave.I have been searching all over the net for seeds for Naga Jolokia…the reputed 800,000 SHU peppers. I have not yet found any source that can actually supply these seeds. Are they real? Can they be found anywhere? Regards, John A: Hello John:I believe that the so-called ’Naga Jolokia’ is a form of Red Caribbean Habanero, imported into India …
Chiltepin Sauce Too Hot
Q: Dave,I live in rural South Texas, where I have access to many wild chiltepin plants for harvesting. This summer I began tinkering with making a Tabasco-style sauce, but with chiltepins. The recipe is from your website, and is basically 2 cups vinegar, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 lb of peppers. My first batch of this stuff was wickedly hot. …
Pepper Plant Cuttings: What Next?
Q: Greetings Sir Dave:I bought four of your books recently, and they are very informative and great fun. I made cuttings from several plants from last season’s garden: poblano, Fresno, Joe Parker New Mexico, hot wax, jalapeño, serrano, and cayenne. Sadly, all my cayenne cuttings died, the last two during week 7 and 8. It has been 9 weeks since …
Capsaicin Health Hazards
Q: Dave,In looking around for the best hot sauce, I have come across many of these sauces with Scoville ratings of 1,000,000 and even up to 16,000,000 (pure capsaicin). While I know these are food additives only, and I would never attempt to taste them on their own, what are the dangers to the body? And at what levels would …