SOME LIKE IT HOT
Q: Explosive chillies?? How hot are we talking?
South American food has seen a major revival in Sydney over the last few years. The strong South American contingent at this year’s Crave’s World Chef Showcase was a clear indication of the interest in South American flavours among foodies, while a Masterchef appearance by the 2 hatted Porteno team has seen Aussie barbies flaring to life.
The pepper (capsicum) is one of the most important seasoning ingredients in South American food, both the sweet and hot varieties are treasured and used widely. Unfortunately, the meaning of pepper tends to get lost in translation. Many varieties look very similar, and depending on where you are and who you talk to, peppers can be chillies, chillies can be capsicums and capsicums can be sweet peppers?! Clear as mud!
While Australians refer to Bell Pepper/Sweet Pepper as a capsicum, ‘capsicum’ is actually the genus name for the flowering plants that produce sweet peppers and their fiery cousins, chillies. Capsicums fall under the umbrella of the Nightshade family, which also includes tomatoes, eggplants and the pepino. As we are now coming into peak season for Capsicums in Australia, below is a list of the main varieties you’ll see cropping up at the markets.
OH SO SWEET: These capsicums have a zero to low Scoville rating. A recessive gene in bell peppers actually eliminates capsaicin
CAPSICUM
Alias: Bell Pepper, Sweet Pepper
- COLOURS: Green, Red, Orange, Yellow, Red.
- APPEARANCE: Large, block shaped fruit with 4-6 lobes and seeds on the inside
- AVAILABILITY: All year, best between November - June
- FLAVOUR: Sweet
- Green is less sweet and slightly more bitter
- Red fruit can contain up to 2 tablespoons of natural sugar
- BEST FOR: Everything, as long as you aren’t looking for heat
- TASTY FACT: Red capsicums are the most nutritious, having more carotene, lycopene, and vitamins than their younger green siblings.
GOURMET ORANGE/YELLOW:
Alias: Paprika
- COLOURS: Orange and Yellow
- APPEARANCE: Similar to regular bell peppers, however ½ to 2/3rd the size
- AVAILABILITY: All Year, best between October and April
- FLAVOUR: Sweet
- BEST FOR: A sweet, colourful addition to salads, also good for stuffing or roasting
HUNGARIAN CAPSICUM:
- COLOUR: White to cream
- APPEARANCE: Similar in size and shape to Gourmet Capsicum range
- AVAILABILITY: All Year, best between November to March
- BEST FOR: Goulash! Salads, stuffing or roasting
BULLHORN:
- COLOUR: Red, Green, Yellow
- APPEARANCE: Long, curved and tapered to a point
- AVAILABILITY: October to March
- FLAVOUR: Sweet, fruity
- BEST FOR: Stuffing or as a substitute for bell peppers
BABY CAPSICUM- VINE SWEET:
- COLOUR: Yellow to Red
- APPEARANCE: Mini capsicums between 5-7cms
- AVAILABILITY: All Year
- FLAVOUR: Sweet and crunchy
- BEST FOR: Salads, Stir fries, gourmet presentation
IL BELLO ROSSO (BABY RED CAPSICUMS):
- COLOUR: Red
- APPEARANCE: Mini capsicums between 5-7cms
- AVAILABILITY: All Year
- FLAVOUR: Sweet and mild
- BEST FOR: Salads, Stir fries, gourmet presentation
BRING ON THE HEAT: These chillies have capsaicin present in the white pith around the seeds and the seeds themselves, the capsaicin is what brings on the burn.
LONG CHILLIES:
Alias: Cayenne Pepper
- COLOUR: Green to Red, depending on stage of maturity. Green is immature, red is ripe.
- APPEARANCE: Long and slender, tapering to a point.
- AVAILABILITY: All Year, best between September and March as cooler months affect the heat of the chilli
- FLAVOUR: Range from Mild and Sweet to moderately hot
- Green: Hot
- Red: Sweet and spicy
- THE BURN: Hot. Similar to Tabasco. Scoville = 30,000- 60,000
- BEST FOR: Indian, Chinese, Indonesian and Thai Cuisine
JALAPENO:
- COLOUR: Green (sometimes allowed to mature to red)
- APPEARANCE: Medium sized, 5-9cm long, firm
- AVAILABILITY: All Year
- FLAVOUR: Spicy capsicum
- THE BURN: Medium- Hot. Scoville = 10,000
- BEST FOR: Seasoning, spicing up sauces, salsa, soups
HABANERO:
- COLOUR: Unripe habaneros are green but when mature can be orange, red, brown, pink or even white
- APPEARANCE: Habaneros are short and look like a small bell pepper with the air sucked out.
- AVAILABILITY: All year, best in Nov-Mar
- FLAVOUR: Hot and Spicy with a hint of citrus/tropical
- THE BURN: The deep burn, the Habanero is one of the hottest available averaging between 100,000-350,000 on the Scoville scale (some have been known to hit 600,000)
- BEST FOR: An angry sauce!
BIRDS EYE:
Alias: Thai Chilli
- COLOUR: Red when mature, but can also be yellow, purple or black
- APPEARANCE: Small and round, lots of seeds
- AVAILABILITY: All Year
- FLAVOUR: Punchy
- THE BURN: Hot!! Scoville = 50-000 to 100,000
- BEST FOR: Thai, Vietnamese and Cambodian dishes- adding heat to pasta, soups, sauces, salads and dips
BANANA CHILLI
Alias: Hungarian Yellow Wax
- COLOUR: Yellow to orange.
- APPEARANCE: Curved, comes to a point. Thick, waxy flesh
- AVAILABILITY: All Year
- FLAVOUR: Sweet and Hot, similar in heat to a Jalapeno
- THE BURN: Medium-Hot. Scoville = 5,000 – 10,000
- BEST FOR: Stuffing, soups, sauces and salads
BISHOP’S CROWN:
Alias: Christmas Bell
- COLOUR: Immature is pale green, matures to red
- APPEARANCE: Distinct wings on 3 to 4 pods
- AVAILABILITY: In height of season
- FLAVOUR: Fruity and spicy
- THE BURN: Medium- Hot. Scoville = 5,000- 30,000
- BEST FOR: Salsa, stir fries, drying or pickling
A: The hottest chilli recorded to date is the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T Pepper which recorded over 1,400,000 on the Scoville rating. They’re so hot they come with a safety warning! “Exposure to the eye or skin near the eyes when handling this pepper could cause temporary blindness. While preparing the Butch T, one should wear a chemical mask or a body suit to defend against fumes given off in the cooking process.” To give you an idea of how hot that is, the second strongest chilli in the world, the Bhut Jolokia, is being used by the Indian military as an anti-terrorist measure. Used as Chilli Grenades they choke the enemy's respiratory tract, leaving targets barely able to breathe, while their eyes, throat and skin, burn and sting. Now that’s explosive.
KING OF FRUITS
Q: How do I make sure to get a kingly mango?
Each year Sydney eagerly awaits the tell-tale signs that summer is on its way; daylight savings, backpackers, streaky fake tans and last but not least the arrival of the mangoes.
For many Australians the mango is the taste of summer. As a versatile tropical fruit, the mango brings an instant flavour and colour hit to every dish, whether it be a salad, curry or tasty snack such as this Mango, lime and chilli salt recipe from Gourmet Traveller.
Australia produces approximately 45,000 tonnes of mangoes a year with the Sunshine State (QLD) taking the mantle of top producer at 72% of the total market. The potential for growth however has seen regions such as the NT increase their production dramatically, with NT now accounting for 23% of production. Currently 90% of the commercial crop in Australia is Kensington Pride, though new varieties such as Calypso™, R2E2 and Honey Gold™ are increasing in popularity amongst growers and consumers.
Here’s what to expect from your mangoes this season.
Kensington Pride (aka Bowen)
Appearance: Medium sized, oval fruit with orange skin tinged with pink/red and gold flesh
Flavour: Sweet, tangy
Background: The main mango variety in Australia, it was originally grown in Bowen, QLD in the 1960s after being introduced by horse traders dealing with India. The name Kensington was a reference to the name of the farm upon which one of the pioneers of the variety, Harry Lott, grew his fruit.
R2E2
Appearance: Round, large fruit with deep orange skin and a light yellow flesh
Flavour: Mild and sweet.
Background: A seedling derivative of the Kent, the R2E2 was first released for commercial production in 1991 and takes its name from the row and position of the original tree at the DEEDI´s Bowen Research Station. This variety is gaining popularity due to its long shelf life and high flesh to seed ratio
Calypso™
Appearance: Smooth deep orange skin with firm, fibreless flesh
Flavour: Full sweet flavour- good for salads
Background: A recent addition to the mango varieties in Oz, the Calypso™ is a cross between the Kensington Pride and Sensational varieties. The high flesh to seed ratio and good shelf life make this a cost effective option for chefs
Keitt (aka Condo Mango)
Appearance: Medium to large, thick skin with green base colour and pink to bronze blush
Flavour: Sweet orange flesh with no fibre and a mild lemony taste
Background: Finding its feet in the 80s in Australia, the Keitt is now a top four performer. Keitt received its name from the name of the woman who owned its original plantation .
Honey Gold™
Appearance: When ripe the skin is golden apricot yellow with a natural waxy coating
Flavour: Sweet, aromatic and juicy. Firm, fibreless flesh
Background: The Honey Gold™ was cultivated in Rockhampton, when a Kensington Pride flower was inadvertently cross-pollinated with an unknown mango variety.
Palmer
Appearance: Small to medium sized, elongated fruit with a dark red blush that covers most of the skin
Flavour: Sweet and mild, the flesh is juicy and aromatic- similar to Kensington Pride
Background: A small player in the Australian Mango industry the Palmer accounts for only 5% of total production, despite being grown commercially in QLD for over a decade.
Pearl™
Appearance: Smaller mango with flecked skin that has an orange to red blush
Flavour: Tangy and fresh
Background: Considered a good mango for the kitchen despite being smaller than other varieties, due to its high flesh to seed ratio, long shelf life and firm flesh.
Brooks
Appearance: Medium-size oblong with no beak and a pale pink-orange skin with no blush when ripe
Flavour: Sweet, mild flesh
Background: One of the original Florida cultivars, Brooks- also known as Brooks Late, is a mango variety that originated as a seedling of Sandersha in 1901. Brooks is the latest maturing variety in Australia.
Kent
Appearance: Medium to large oval, skin is smooth with a red blush that borders on purple
Flavour: Rich and sweet- great for juicing and drying
Background: Another descendant of Brooks (crossed with the Haden variety), the Kent mango was introduced to Australia in the 1970s.
FRESH MANGO AVAILABILITY:
Source: Australia Fresh
Bring the flavour of summer to your menu, contact Simon George & Sons for more information.
A: Unlike many other fruits, you can’t tell the quality of a mango by the colour of its skin. Instead select mangoes that are firm and heavy for their size with a distinct, pleasant fragrance. The skin should be bright with no black spots or mushy indentations. If you want to eat the mango right away, gently squeeze the stem end with your finger and thumb, if it gives slightly, then the fruit is ripe. Unripe mangoes will ripen if stored at room temperature. Once ripe, you can prolong the shelf life of the mango by placing it in the refrigerator, where it will keep for 2-3 days.