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Havana's habaneros bring more to the table than just heat

Habanero peppers were once considered the hottest pepper in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Though they have since been dethroned by the likes of the more recently popularized ghost peppers and selectively bred Carolina Reapers, they are well known for their fruity and floral flavours while packing a punch of 100,000 - 300,000 on the Scoville scale. Habanero peppers get their name from the Cuban capital Havana, which was July 3rd’s solution to Globle: Capitals. Habaneros were originally widely traded in Cuba, but Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula is now their biggest exporter.

Habanero peppers originate from the Amazon region, and the oldest known pod dates back to 6500 BC. They have been cultivated and spread for centuries, with humans selectively breeding them for favourable traits such as size and flavour. Habaneros have successfully adapted to many climates and cultures, and are eaten in sauces, salsas, and paired with other fruits and vegetables.

To determine the spiciness of a pepper, scientists measure how much they must dilute the pepper by in order for its taste to be indistinguishable to human subjects. The heat in hot peppers is thanks to a compound called capsaicin, which can be found in the membrane surrounding seeds. Capsaicin may make us sweat, but birds are unaffected by the spiciness, and are therefore crucial in dispersing seeds for plant propagation.

Hot peppers thrive in hot weather - the stress of high temperatures actually makes them spicier! Drought conditions will also make peppers taste hotter. Some peppers, like bell peppers, contain no capsaicin and even the hottest and driest conditions will not make them spicy.

Plant breeders have created breeds of habanero peppers called habanadas that contain all the flavour with none of the spice. New peppers are created through cross-breeding existing pepper varieties, yielding stable hybrids that can be grown again from seeds. Now the rich flavour of this Latin American delicacy is available to those who are not big fans of spicy food. If you can’t handle the heat, don’t get out of the kitchen… try a habanada!

Answers to last week's games

Monday, June 24 to Sunday, June 30.

Linxicon

The following are the shortest paths from last week:

• #140 enjoy -> enjoying -> enjoyment -> sex -> couple -> two 😳

• #141 activity -> actively -> officially -> official

• #142 bullet -> chambered -> grouped -> cluster

• #143 scientist -> teacher -> coach -> champion -> ultimate

• #144 ingredient -> food -> living

• #145 circumstance -> repetition -> repeat -> remind

• #146 truth -> genuine -> native -> regional

• #140 Play now!

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