Question
Deborah Goodman
When a recipe calls for "red pepper", what are we supposed to use?
Answer
Let's look at some different scenarios that come to mind here. Um, you know, on, on one hand, if, uh, the recipe is talking about bell peppers, um, then hopefully through the context, uh, we would know, we would understand that's, it's not a green, uh, bell pepper, but a, a red bell pepper. Um, so it's gonna be a main ingredient at that, at that point, probably, or, or it could be a secondary color, uh, or sweetness, uh, element. Um, now if we're talking about spices, okay, um, you know, red peppers or red chilies or Chile, c h i l e Chile, um, is, uh, what I think of, that's the term that I use because it's gonna specify, um, um, uh, uh, red chilies, right? Or green chilies or, or some other type of chili, uh, that usually, uh, impart some heat. Not always, but, uh, but often it does. And, um, so when it comes to heat, uh, we all have our individual preference and tolerance level, so you've got some flexibility here. Okay, in answering this question, what kind of a red pepper or red chili to use? Um, you know, if, if you like the heat, then reach for a chili that's gonna impart that heat. And it could be, uh, um, a cayenne, it could be a Chile, um, or, uh, something else, or, you know, many to choose from. Um, if it's something, uh, you know, that's, that's got less heat than, uh, you know, we, we can maybe get, uh, a paprika what might be labeled in the US as a paprika. Um, some of them have heat. Many of them marketed here, uh, don't, uh, have heat or much at all. And then some varieties are smoked, and so you have a choice, uh, in that realm. And they're usually labeled, um, smoked or hot, or if they're not labeled any of those, and they, they're probably just a, a sweet, um, i e not hot, um, paprika, which is a variety of red chili. Okay. Um, but it's up to you, I guess, uh, Deborah, that's, that's ultimately the, uh, the answer to your question based upon your preference.
