When it comes to distinguishing a pepperoni from a chilli, even star chefs sometimes work up a sweat. This is less due to the pungent taste of the pods than to their inevitable resemblance. With the tips on this page, however, you will soon become an expert and be able to tell the difference between pepperoni and chili at first glance.

Hot peppers are chilies, only sweeter

Where does the likelihood of confusion come from?

Both chili and pepperoni are assigned to the paprika vegetable. They are thus closely related to each other. What they also have in common is their origins in South American Mexico, where both types of vegetables are a common part of the local cuisine. It is best known for its spicy dishes. Chili and pepperoni contain a lot of capsaicin. Basically, the pepperoni is a subspecies of the chili. Nevertheless, on closer inspection, it has a different appearance and also varies in taste.

Characteristics of the chili

  • extremely hot (500 on the Scoville scale, trend increasing)
  • small pods
  • mostly colored red

Characteristics of hot peppers

  • milder in taste (100-500 on the Scoville scale)
  • bigger than the chili
  • a subspecies of chili

What does the Scoville scale express?

The Scoville scale indicates how hot a food is. Chilies and pepperoni are accordingly high here. This is mainly due to the high capsaicin content that both varieties contain. Although chili and pepperoni are among the paprika vegetables, they have a very low value due to special breeding. Nevertheless, the chili pepper is many times hotter. Depending on the variety, peppers can taste mild or slightly sweet.

Different processing

The biggest difference between a pepper and a chilli is the way they are processed. Of course, this results from the different taste of the two types of pepper. Since the chili is much hotter than a pepper, it is usually used to make cayenne pepper or the well-known chili powder. Peppers, on the other hand, can be used to obtain paprika powder in all variations. There are also fiery varieties here. Nevertheless, the selection also ranges from sweet, almost sweet spices such as sweet paprika powder.

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Vegetable garden