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jdog2050
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
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 Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2012 10:40 pm Post subject: Korean peppers and the scoville scale |
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Does anyone know the english names for the typical "hot" peppers in Korea? I'm trying to find how they rate on the Scoville heat-unit scale and google is failing me.
Thanks! |
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Skippy
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Daejeon
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| Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 1:24 am Post subject: |
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| Ditto! Let's actually get some scientific proof on how spicy Korean food is. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 1:35 am Post subject: |
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It'll be really hard.
청양고추 is the "spicy" Korean pepper. The problem is that even that pepper's spiciness can vary.
I eat them raw and I've had some that made my eyes water, and I've had others that literally melted my face off.
There's no real consistency in the raw pepper itself. Also, Korean foods very in heat also. A bibimguksu from one place could be mild, while a bibimguksu at another place will have you crapping fire for 3 days.
What foods are we comparing? Bul Dak? Kimchi Jjigae?
Sure, if someone is expecting the Naga Viper Pepper version 12.0 then you will be disappointed with the spiciness of Korean food. For someone who thinks Tabasco Sauce is too spicy, then Korean food will be spicy.
PErsonally, I can handle spicier food than the average Korean. Hell, I know quite a few Koreans who can't even eat their own food because its "spicy to them".
Last edited by pkang0202 on Mon Jan 30, 2012 1:42 am; edited 1 time in total |
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T-J
Joined: 10 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul EunpyungGu Yeonsinnae
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:58 am Post subject: |
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Thanks. So if I'm reading that right, it's on par with the tabasco pepper. |
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coralreefer_1
Joined: 19 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:54 am Post subject: |
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| I do recall reading somewhere that the hottest Korean pepper (which isnt native to Korea actually) was about 10,000 units...this in comparison with the worlds hottest peppers that are upward of 800,000 - 1,000,000 units. |
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ewlandon
Joined: 30 Jan 2011
Location: teacher
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| Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 4:25 am Post subject: |
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Impossible. I love spicy food and i've had hot sauce that is 350,000 scovel rating there is no way that the hottest korean peppers rank at 10k. The fire spice here is some of the spiciest food I have ever come across. The only thing ive ever had spicier than that is the 350,000 hot sauce.
Even chinese food does not compare to the "fire" spice i've had here.
That being said I am completely aware that there is Thai food and Indian food (or the indian pepper that is 1 mil scovel) that trumps the "fire" spice in Korea but I have not personally had it.
Anyway my point is, "fire" korean spice is no joke. Normal Korean food I like Kimchi Jigea is something I considered really really spicey when I was 12, now I don't find it spicy at all (maybe on par with Cock-Sauce in the usa) |
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ewlandon
Joined: 30 Jan 2011
Location: teacher
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| Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 4:26 am Post subject: |
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| Oh yeah and by "chinese" food im talking about the spicy chinese food, HUnan and Sechuan. (Spelling) |
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jfromtheway
Joined: 20 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 5:42 am Post subject: |
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| Anyone know if the 청양고추 would be good for making my chili not so damn weak in the spice department? I've been looking for some hot chili peppers but the ones I've found are crap. Don't suppose there are any habanero chili peppers to be found in these parts... |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 5:47 am Post subject: |
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| jfromtheway wrote: |
| Anyone know if the 청양고추 would be good for making my chili not so damn weak in the spice department? I've been looking for some hot chili peppers but the ones I've found are crap. Don't suppose there are any habanero chili peppers to be found in these parts... |
I've used it in chili with some good success.
What I've noticed is that the Korean pepper will give the chili a good kick at the front of the month, but it doesn't do much to spread the heat to the back of the mouth. I find that you have to use a combination of chili peppers to get that even burn. |
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jfromtheway
Joined: 20 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 6:05 am Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
| jfromtheway wrote: |
| Anyone know if the 청양고추 would be good for making my chili not so damn weak in the spice department? I've been looking for some hot chili peppers but the ones I've found are crap. Don't suppose there are any habanero chili peppers to be found in these parts... |
I've used it in chili with some good success.
What I've noticed is that the Korean pepper will give the chili a good kick at the front of the month, but it doesn't do much to spread the heat to the back of the mouth. I find that you have to use a combination of chili peppers to get that even burn. |
Thanks for that, will be giving it a try soon, assuming I will be able to recognize/find them. As to the bolded part, I agree completely. I always used a combination of peppers back home. When I made jfromtheway's super special chili here recently, I added pepperoncinis to the mix; never done that before, but it was a good addition. As far as habaneros go though, I guess it's a non-starter. |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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| Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 8:07 am Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
It'll be really hard.
청양고추 is the "spicy" Korean pepper. The problem is that even that pepper's spiciness can vary.
I eat them raw and I've had some that made my eyes water, and I've had others that literally melted my face off.
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It's lucky in your case that Korea has fairly good plastic surgeons. Has your appearance been fully restored? |
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coralreefer_1
Joined: 19 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 10:47 am Post subject: |
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| ewlandon wrote: |
Impossible. I love spicy food and i've had hot sauce that is 350,000 scovel rating there is no way that the hottest korean peppers rank at 10k. The fire spice here is some of the spiciest food I have ever come across. The only thing ive ever had spicier than that is the 350,000 hot sauce.
Even chinese food does not compare to the "fire" spice i've had here.
That being said I am completely aware that there is Thai food and Indian food (or the indian pepper that is 1 mil scovel) that trumps the "fire" spice in Korea but I have not personally had it.
Anyway my point is, "fire" korean spice is no joke. Normal Korean food I like Kimchi Jigea is something I considered really really spicey when I was 12, now I don't find it spicy at all (maybe on par with Cock-Sauce in the usa) |
I'm not exactly sure what "fire" spice you are referring to. Is this some type of pepper, condiment, additive, or just a general term??
I'm not trying to say Korean peppers are spicy (10,000 compared to 350,000 as you recount is well...35 times less spicy that the heat you are talking about) so seems to me we are making the same point. Simply adding info that I found when i was trying to grow my own peppers (which the seeds were brought from Vietnam, and have the same scientific name as the Korean hot chili) and although I admit it was years ago, 10,000 is what I recall.
I have a bottle of Mad Dog's Revenge spice extract in my cabinet that (at least according to the label) registers at 1,000,000. While naturally it is spicy as heck, i would feel safe saying that a 10,000 unit Korean pepper is 100 times less spicy than that. At any rate not going to argue about it...just saying that the scale in the link posted and the comparison to Tabasco sauce seems off to me...but alas...
On a side note...i cant recall how many times I've challenged some woman at my apartment to try some of this stuff (Mad Dog's revenge) playing on the "we can eat spicy food and you foreigners cant handle it) bit. What better way to get a woman to quickly finish her homemade cocktail and ask for 3/4 more than to give/challenge her to a tiny drop of that stuff~ |
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tardisrider
Joined: 13 Mar 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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| ontheway wrote: |
| pkang0202 wrote: |
It'll be really hard.
청양고추 is the "spicy" Korean pepper. The problem is that even that pepper's spiciness can vary.
I eat them raw and I've had some that made my eyes water, and I've had others that literally melted my face off.
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It's lucky in your case that Korea has fairly good plastic surgeons. Has your appearance been fully restored? |
I was wondering the same thing. I'll bet there were some complaints from students. |
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wishfullthinkng
Joined: 05 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 5:59 pm Post subject: |
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| coralreefer_1 wrote: |
I have a bottle of Mad Dog's Revenge spice extract in my cabinet that (at least according to the label) registers at 1,000,000. While naturally it is spicy as heck, i would feel safe saying that a 10,000 unit Korean pepper is 100 times less spicy than that. At any rate not going to argue about it...just saying that the scale in the link posted and the comparison to Tabasco sauce seems off to me...but alas...
On a side note...i cant recall how many times I've challenged some woman at my apartment to try some of this stuff (Mad Dog's revenge) playing on the "we can eat spicy food and you foreigners cant handle it) bit. What better way to get a woman to quickly finish her homemade cocktail and ask for 3/4 more than to give/challenge her to a tiny drop of that stuff~ |
i don't think capsaicin heat is linear. i feel it works kinda like the decibel system.
that said, i get all my hot sauce needs shipped from the states. check out hotsauceworld.com for your fix.
i would also love to know about this "fire" spice. i've never heard of it, and if it's anything like it's being touted to be then it could solve my lack of spicy in korea woes.
btw, i just got back from a vacation in cambodia, and not only is it also a paradise for spicy food lovers, but i had some of the hottest non-extract sauce there made from fresh chiles. mind boggling how spicy it was. |
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