food Marketing - Technology 2/2023
food Marketing & Technology is the international magazine for executives and specialists in the food industry.
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Ingredients<br />
the other hand, which mistakenly have<br />
the reputation of being “particularly<br />
hot”, contain no capsaicin.<br />
Wide range of varieties and<br />
flavors<br />
Chili peppers come in a variety of<br />
colors – e.g. yellow, orange, green,<br />
red – and in different color intensities.<br />
The shapes also vary – narrow or<br />
bulbous, short or long. Depending on<br />
the variety, there are also differences<br />
in taste, aroma and pungency. The<br />
spiciness is joined by different flavors,<br />
such as fruity, floral, sweet, tangy,<br />
smoky, etc.<br />
Spicy <strong>food</strong> makes you happy<br />
Capsaicin irritates the nerve cells<br />
of the oral mucosa. The cells also<br />
warn us if we burn our mouth<br />
with something too hot. This<br />
is where the burning sensation<br />
comes from when eating a chili<br />
pepper. The body reacts to<br />
capsaicin with increased blood<br />
flow and hot flashes. The pain<br />
stimulus can cause the release<br />
of the happiness hormone<br />
endorphin.<br />
The origin of peppers and chili<br />
peppers is in Central and South<br />
America, and Christopher Columbus<br />
is said to have brought the chili bell<br />
pepper to Europe. Today, there are<br />
a large number of varieties and new<br />
chilies are constantly being created<br />
through breeding. Most commonly<br />
used varieties are descended from<br />
five families of species: Sweet<br />
peppers, as well as “Cayenne” and<br />
“Jalapeño,” belong to the most<br />
common species, Capsicum anuum.<br />
Capsicum baccatum includes the<br />
citrus-flavored chili pepper “Lemon<br />
Drop”. The very hot chili peppers<br />
“Carolina Reaper”, “Scorpion” and<br />
“Habanero” are Capsicum chinense<br />
varieties. The “Tabasco” pod, known<br />
through the sauce of the same name,<br />
is of the Capsicum frutescens species.<br />
The fifth species Capsicum pubescens<br />
is rarely cultivated. “Rocota” is one of<br />
its varieties and very popular among<br />
chili connoisseurs.<br />
+ Markets. “This one-stop chili variety<br />
was met with great demand at recent<br />
trade shows to which we accompanied<br />
the company.”<br />
Developing a high-quality seed<br />
The richness of chili varieties is the<br />
result of cultivation and breeding.<br />
Accordingly, the production of highquality<br />
chili varieties begins with seeds.<br />
“Uchu Spice” puts special emphasis<br />
on seed production, handling and<br />
control in its development center.<br />
The company does not resort to<br />
hybrid seeds but has established<br />
its own seed bank and takes care of<br />
seed management itself. 68 different<br />
varieties of the five Capsicum species<br />
families are currently in the seed<br />
bank. Seed development is a lengthy<br />
process. Each variety goes through<br />
a special development process. For<br />
the development of the “Carolina<br />
Reaper”, for example, five seeds were<br />
available and the company needed<br />
2 ½ years. During the research and<br />
development process, the fruits with<br />
the best genotype and phenotype are<br />
selected to ensure that the chilies<br />
are bred that are the most flavorful,<br />
have the best shape and have the<br />
best organoleptic characteristics.<br />
“Many chili producers don’t pay<br />
enough attention not to mix varieties,”<br />
explains Imelda Echavarria, cofounder<br />
and CEO of Uchu Spice. “We,<br />
on the other hand, take special care<br />
to manage the gene bank so that we<br />
have the best ‘habanero’ or that the<br />
‘scorpion’ pod always has the shape of<br />
a scorpion. Our quality control starts<br />
with the seed.”<br />
The company “Uchu Spice” offers 15<br />
different chili varieties. Among them<br />
are the rather mild “Jalapeño” to the<br />
very hot “Habanero” pods. Many<br />
well-known and often used varieties<br />
are included, such as “Tabasco” and<br />
“Cayenne”, as well as specialties like<br />
“Rocota” and “Scotch Bonnet” chilies.<br />
For the European <strong>food</strong> industry, the<br />
chilies are available in dried form, in<br />
flakes, as powder, puréed or pickled,<br />
depending on their intended use. “The<br />
range of chili varieties, flavors, heat<br />
levels and processing options is very<br />
wide for ‘Uchu Spice’” explains Maria<br />
Paula Gomez, IPD expert for Sourcing<br />
16 <strong>food</strong> <strong>Marketing</strong> & <strong>Technology</strong> • April <strong>2023</strong>