Aleppo Pepper + Heat
I'm testing out a meatball recipe with aleppo pepper flakes, and although it's good, I want a little more heat. Do you think adding a touch of cayenne would do the trick? Would it pair well with the aleppo or could it possibly overtake the aleppo's unique flavor?
Best Answer
Try it & see ;)
Aleppo isn't particularly hot; I haven't checked it on the Scoville scale, but just from experience, though it's got a little kick to it, & that kick can be quite variable depending on your source of the pepper, to me, aleppo is used for its flavour rather than its kick.
Cayenne, on the other hand, I always consider to be "free heat". Its largest contribution is to add the 'burn', it doesn't really have much flavour, it's mainly heat.
I always think that by the time you can actually taste cayenne, you have other concerns ;)
On an anecdotal note - I always put a little cayenne in meatballs & most tomato sauces that would go with them. It's just a family 'thing' - we like it that way.
Pictures about "Aleppo Pepper + Heat"
Is Aleppo pepper very hot?
They are generally moderately spicy, so you should use them as you would red-pepper flakes in terms of heat level. (For scope, on the Scoville heat scale, the Aleppo pepper is rated 20,000 and the red pepper can range from 15,000 to 45,000.)Is Aleppo pepper hotter than red pepper flakes?
Why we love it: This spice about half as hot as the crushed red chile flakes you put on your late-night dollar-slice pizza, and easily twice as flavorful. Like salt, Aleppo-style pepper is a flavor enhancer.What is so special about Aleppo pepper?
With a unique salt-meets-raisin flavor, Aleppo pepper's popularity has skyrocketed globally, and for good reason. Originating in Syria, the moderately spicy Aleppo pepper has long been a staple in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean kitchens.Is Aleppo pepper the same as cayenne pepper?
Is Aleppo Pepper the Same as Cayenne Pepper? These are not the same peppers and using just cayenne pepper in place for Aleppo pepper would add too much heat and leave a flat flavor.Aleppo Pepper
More answers regarding aleppo Pepper + Heat
Answer 2
In your precise situation, where you want to add only heat while leaving the current flavors of the meal unchanged, you will be looking for the chili pepper with the highest heat-to-flavor ratio. This generally means that you will want to go with the hottest chili pepper as possible.
This will allow you to add very smaller quantities of the chili pepper than you would have with jalapeno-level peppers to reach the desired level of heat.
Superhot pepper powders are great for this application. Micro-dosing it is easy, and it won't be enough to change any of the taste. Add very small quantities at a time, taste it, and add more if needed.
Typical superhots used for this are:
- Ghost pepper (Bhut Jolokia)
- Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
- Carolina reaper
There are 100s of superhots that could all do the job, but the 3 listed are most likely the easiest to find.
Alternatively you could use capsaicin extract. That is most likely the highest heat-to-flavor product you can find. However the taste of it is generally less popular, although in very small quantities you won't be able to notice it.
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Images: Francesco Paggiaro, Artem Beliaikin, Artem Beliaikin, Saeed Khokhar