Addicted to chilli?

Can we become addicted to chilli?

This has been debated in medical circles for many years and we teased out the evidence we could find, for and against. Generally, consensus seems to be that it is an obsession rather than an addiction… Although there are a few of us who could possibly argue that it is an addiction!

Apparently there is no evidence that capsaicin, the active ingredient in chilli, is addictive. It seems that the hotter the chilli, the greater the endorphin release becomes – a bit like the rush after doing intense exercise. It also seems likely that the more we eat chillies, the more we want to eat. And we want them hotter. In 1912, William Scoville developed the ‘Scoville Scale’, which grades chilli varieties according to Scoville Heat Units (SHU). This allows chilli obsessives (or addicts) around the world to climb the tolerance scale until, one assumes, they reach their nirvana.

The scale grades from 0 to 16,000,000 (pure capsaicin). To put some perspective on this, Jalapeños are at 5000 and Cayenne at 40,000. 

We try to keep a balance of flavour and heat with our chilli products. From the mild Strawberry Chilli Sauce to the hotter mustards and chutneys, chilli aficionados can’t get enough! Let’s focus on just three, each with a recipe to get you going.

Strawberry Chilli Sauce has the sweetness of strawberries with just a touch of chilli so is best with white meats, vegetables and soft cheeses. For mushroom lovers, try our Strawberry Chilli Mushrooms. Click here for the recipe.   

Getting a little hotter but certainly not too high up the Scoville Scale, our Tomato Kasoundi could certainly be termed ‘addictive’ based the feedback from fans of this much-loved chutney. Endless recipes will bring out your inner Indian chef but make sure you try our Kasoundi stir fry. Click here to view the recipe.

Feeling like vegetarian? Try fresh vegetables with our Thai Chilli Sauce. It is also wonderful as a marinade with added coriander. Click here to see the recipe.

Have fun with these…. And, remember, not one artificial additive is used in any of our products, giving you the pure and natural taste of Tasmania.

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