Customers can purchase dried chilli padi from manufacturers in various quantities, ranging from small packets for home use to bulk orders for restaurants and other food establishments. Many manufacturers also offer different levels of heat for their chillies, allowing customers to choose the perfect spiciness for their dishes.

Where Does Paprika Come From?  

This is the first part of our blog series about capsaicin. Stay tuned to learn about how capsaicin works, why we love it so much, and how to help with a bad chilli burn.

The big difference between these two mixtures is the consistency. Sauces such as hot sauces are more liquid than pastes. It is meant to lightly coat food and even enhance the taste of the food instead of covering it up with its taste. Pastes meanwhile are thicker, more viscous, and more concentrated. It’s common to see pastes such as sriracha spread onto food in a light layer instead of being allowed to coat it.  

Smoked paprika, such as Spanish pimentón, is made from peppers that have been smoked over oak fires, giving it a distinct smoky flavor. This type of paprika can be sweet or hot, and its spiciness can vary depending on the specific variety. The smoky flavor adds depth to dishes and is often used in recipes like barbecue, paella, and marinades.

The Scoville Scale was developed in 1912 by Wilbur Scoville, a pharmacist from the United States. To determine the SHU, an exact weight of hot pepper is dissolved in alcohol to extract the capsaicinoids components. These components are then diluted in a solution of sugar water and decreasing concentrations are given to a panel of trained tasters until a majority can no longer detect them in a diluted form. The heat level is then rated based on this dilution in multiples of 100 SHU. This system was initially purely organoleptic but nowadays is measured using HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) to prevent any deviation from sensory fatigue or the chosen panel´s resistance.