Adding cayene early makes it less hot

I have a favorite jambalya recipe. I usually saute the trinity (celery, onions, green peppers) for a short while before adding garlic and then a longer while later I will add my Cajun seasoning. For some reason the other day I did it differently and added my Cajon seasoning to the oil before adding the trinity and garlic (like I do when making Thai curry - adding the curry paste to the oil to start the cooking). I was surprised to find my final dish at the end was far less spicy (less hot) and there was less of the flavor from the Cajon seasoning. That surprised me. Slightly less spicy would make sense but this was WAY less spicy. I used the normal quantity of all ingredients so that wasn't the cause of the difference.

EDIT: DIshes made 3 days apart with spices that have been stored the same length of time (months+).

What is going on?

spices spicy-hot

Best Answer

Cooking over high heat causes capsaicin (the hot chemical in chiles) to break down and to vaporize, leaving less in the finished dish. There's a huge difference between cooking in water at 95C vs. in hot oil at 150C; simmering only causes losses of up to 1/4 of the capsaicin, while frying can cause much greater losses, up to 90%.

So by adding the cayenne pepper earlier, you were cooking it at hot oil temperature, and thus lost the majority of the spiciness. If you'd waited until the vegetables broke down, the water they release lowers the cooking temperature to near boiling, and thus little hotness is lost.

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How do you reduce the heat of cayenne pepper?

You can add sweetness to your dishes to help ease excessive heat from cayenne pepper. Simply stir a little sugar or honey into the dish. When using sugar, many experts suggest brown sugar as the best option. Sugar is especially effective when you combine it with acid in the form of citrus or vinegar.

Does cayenne add flavor or just heat?

Typically found in the spice aisle of the grocery store as a finely ground powder, cayenne is a hot pepper that can add a punch of heat to any recipe, from homemade hot sauce to chili con carne.

Does cayenne add heat?

Cayenne pepper is a spicy chili pepper that can be added to a variety of dishes to increase the heat of a dish.

How long does it take for cayenne pepper to work?

Researchers behind a 2019 study involving 46 participants found that capsaicin nasal spray provided \u201csignificant rapid and sustainable relief\u201d from the above symptoms \u2014 when allergies were not the cause. The improvement started as soon as 10 minutes after using the spray.

SQUIRRELS VS HOT PEPPER BIRD SEED! Does this spicy food actually work against squirrels?

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Miriam Alonso, Miriam Alonso, Gustavo Fring, Angela Roma