jalapeño
The jalapeño is a popular spicy pepper because it adds a
nice kick without too much of a burn. It registers between
2,500-5,000 on the Scoville scale, which measures the con-centration
92
WBM october 2017
of capsaicin.
But it’s too mild for some thrill seekers, who like their
peppers the hotter the better. How hot? The Carolina
Reaper, developed by Ed Currie in Rock Hill, South
Carolina, is recognized by the Guinness Book of World
Records as the hottest pepper in the world with a Scoville
index of 1,569,300. If you were to take just a nibble of the
Carolina Reaper, the capsaicin content is so extreme your
body would literally be tricked into “inflaming” itself.
While there’s no physical burn, the capsaicin
in any hot pepper stimulates the nerve recep-tors
that normally respond to heat. Some
people are less sensitive because they
have fewer receptors lining their mouth
and throat, but to truly withstand the
burn it helps to be a bird. Birds are
immune to the chemical, which
makes them excellent pepper cul-tivators.
The seeds are swallowed
whole and make their way
through the bird’s digestive
tract and to new soil thanks
to migrating species.
carolina reaper
Come see how
we do things
Breaking the bondages of homelessness
and poverty by responsibly sowing Godly
love and material resources. First Fruit
is a one-stop-shop for the poor offering
medical care, psychiatric counseling,
meals, clothes, showers, boxes of food,
transitional housing for 12 single
women, and jobs.
Rick and Lee Anna Stoker
2750 Vance St., Wilmington, NC 28412
OFFICE HOURS: M-F 9 am–2 pm
910-794-9656
To receive a free bumper sticker or sponsorship information:
The Dove 89.7 FM
PO Box 957 • Wilmington, N.C. 28402
Tel: 910-763-2452 Fax: 910-763-6578
www.life905.com • life@life905.com