Hot and fiery

Chilli heat that builds and lingers: capsaicin in its many strengths.

Hot spices bring burning heat, mostly from chillies, and also from the sharper bite of pepper and some roots. The heat is a sensation of pain-like warmth, and many people learn to enjoy it.

Where the heat comes from

Chillies contain capsaicin, which triggers the same nerve receptors that sense hot temperatures. Black pepper contains piperine, which has a different, sharper bite. Heat is measured on the Scoville scale, from mild peppers near zero to the hottest cultivars at over a million units.

How cooks use it

Heat is built in layers. Fresh chilli gives a bright burn, dried chilli a deeper warmth, and smoked chilli a lingering one. Fat, sugar, dairy and starch soften the heat on the tongue, which is why yoghurt and rice sit beside hot curries.

Around the world

Heat is strong in Mexican, Thai, Sichuan, Andhra, Ethiopian and West African food, and gentler in northern European cooking. Tolerance varies by person and grows with exposure, so start small.

Hot and fiery on EveryMasala

The spices written up so far, best known first.

PartSeed Bark Root Flower Fruit Chilli Leaf Resin Bulb Stigma Blend Paste Seasoning

MealBreakfast Lunch Dinner Supper Snacks and tea time Drinks Desserts and sweets Street food Pickles and preserves Feasts and banquets

🇮🇳 India and 3 moreLong pepperpippali The dried fruit spike of a climbing vine, once the world's most prized spice.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow

🇭🇺 Hungary and 5 moreHorseradish A pungent root vegetable from Southeastern Europe used as a spicy condiment.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreMizo chilliHmarchte A pungent Capsicum frutescens cultivar from Mizoram, India, holding a Geographical Indication tag.Chilli · Hot and fiery

🇭🇺 HungaryCherry peppercseresznyepaprika A small Capsicum annuum cultivar from Hungary, used for paprika and preserves.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow

🇵🇭 PhilippinesSiling labuyo The tiny, erect-fruited wild chili of the Philippines, known for intense heat.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇳 IndiaAlmora Lakhori Mirchiलखोरी मिर्च A wrinkled yellow chilli from the Kumaon hills of India, known for intense heat and GI protection.Hot and fiery

🇮🇳 IndiaBanaras Lal Bharwamirchबनारसी लाल भरवा मिर्च A thick-skinned chilli from Uttar Pradesh, prized for making traditional stuffed pickles.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Bitter 🇧🇷 Brazil and 2 moreCapsicum parvifolium A small-leaved wild chili shrub from northern South AmericaChilli · Hot and fiery 🇺🇸 United StatesFish pepper A variegated heirloom chili from the Chesapeake Bay, prized for its color-changing fruit and crab dishes.Chilli · Hot and fiery 🇨🇳 ChinaXiao Mi La Pepper小米辣 A wild Capsicum frutescens cultivar from southern China, prized for intense heat in spicy regional dishes.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreTrinidad Scorpion Butch T A hybrid Capsicum chinense pepper that held the Guinness World Record for heat in 2011.Chilli · Hot and fiery

🇩🇿 Algeria and 5 moreBlack mustard The dark seeds of an annual plant, used whole in oil or ground into a sharp paste.Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery 🇮🇳 IndiaSirarakhong Hathei chilli A long, bitter chilli from Manipur, India, protected by a geographical indication tag.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Bitter

🇸🇷 SurinameMadame Jeanette A fruity, very hot chili cultivar from Suriname with a reddish-yellow skin.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow

🇦🇺 AustraliaDorrigo pepper The wild-harvested berry and leaf of an Australian shrub, known for its peppery heat.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Warm and sweet-spiced

🇦🇺 Australia and 1 moreMountain pepper The dried berry of an Australian shrub, used as a peppery condiment and wasabi substitute.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreMustard The seed of a Brassicaceae plant used to make pungent condiments and oilHot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreBlack pepper The dried fruit of a climbing vine, the world's most traded spice.Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery

🇲🇽 MexicoTabasco pepper A hot chili cultivar from Mexico, prized for its bright red fruit and role in famous sauces.Chilli · Hot and fiery

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreGinger The pungent rhizome of a flowering plant, widely used as a spice and folk medicine.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

🇯🇵 JapanKōrēgusuコーレーグス A Ryukyuan chili sauce made by soaking hot peppers in Awamori rice spirit.Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreJalapeño A medium-sized Capsicum annuum cultivar from Mexico known for its green pods and moderate heat.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreMustard seed Tiny seeds from three Brassica plants that create pungent condiments and cooking oil.Seed · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Black mustard: AnRo0002, CC0, source
Black pepper: Rainer Zenz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Jalapeño: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Capsicum frutescens: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Cherry pepper: James Lee, CC BY 2.0, source
Kōrēgusu: ayustety, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Long pepper: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Horseradish: Pethan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Siling labuyo: Obsidian Soul, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Banaras Lal Bharwamirch: Dinesh Chaubey, CC0, source
Mustard seed: Novalis at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Mustard: Taken by Fanghong, CC BY 2.5, source
Mountain pepper: Melburnian, CC BY 3.0, source
Dorrigo pepper: Poyt448, Peter Woodard, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Trinidad Scorpion Butch T: Kouya, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Madame Jeanette: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Ginger: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source