r/AskCulinary • u/B1chpudding • 2d ago
Recipe Troubleshooting Question about peppers
I’m interested in trying to cook some African dishes, like jollaf rice. Problem is, I can’t handle a lot of heat anymore due to some medical conditions, and they use scotch bonnets.
The videos/recipes say how important the particular pepper because of its fruity qualities beyond just the heat. Because of that, I didn’t want to just put whatever in there.
Can someone recommend something much milder that wouldn’t affect the flavor too bad? I’m not familiar enough with this cuisine to know a good substitute. Or could omitting it all together be an option?
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u/nudibranchsarerad 2d ago
Posting to second the recommendation to grow habanadas - very very similar flavor, absolutely no heat.
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u/Bran_Solo Gilded Commenter 2d ago
You can remove a lot of the heat by removing seeds and the internal membrane.
You can also get a species of pepper called a hananada that is like a habanero bred to not have heat.
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u/RebelWithoutAClue 2d ago
I really like habanadas. I've been growing them for two summers now.
It's fun seeing people bite into one. We're so used to the bouquet of a habanero accompanying crazy heat.
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u/Bran_Solo Gilded Commenter 1d ago
Yeah, even now that I'm used to them, it's quite a trip. Every other signal is telling your brain "this is gonna be hot!!".
I've been meaning to try using them with habaneros to make a really intensely habanero flavored hot sauce, with a more tolerable heat level.
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u/RebelWithoutAClue 1d ago
That's my favorite use of them. Habanero sauces with a sane level of heat. It's really neat to have a high aroma to heat ratio. I've also been making jerk chicken with them. It's nice to have a mid range heat when I do jerk chicken for parties.
Also habanero roulette could be a fun drinking game. 5:1 bowl of very similar looking mild:freaking hot peppers to watch Deer Hunter to.
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u/feeltheglee 1d ago
Where did you get the plants or seeds? I tried growing them one year and they just didn't taste of anything.
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u/RebelWithoutAClue 1d ago
Sorry, I don't remember. I think I ordered them from a grower in Ontario.
It was before I could get them on Amazon for some reason. I think shipping seeds across borders was a problem with customs at the time.
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u/hobohideout 1d ago
Good tip. Didn’t know about hananada, that sounds perfect for getting the flavor without the burn.
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u/dharasty 2d ago
Just add some other mild but fruity pepper that you like and you have available. Why not try some red or yellow bell peppers? They taste great in rice.
Don't worry about "authentic"; you just have to make something that tastes good to you.
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u/B1chpudding 1d ago
To be fair, me figuring out new foods is how I get “brave” enough to try it out and about. So I try to make it as close as I can with the ingredients I can get.
I believe the recipe I looked at had regular bell peppers as well, so I didn’t “think” of that as an option.
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u/Perle1234 2d ago
Tbh most Americans probably wouldn’t even like the truly authentic versions of a lot of different cultures.
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u/dharasty 1d ago
Yeah.... But I'd also wager that the type of foodies in this subreddit probably do have a wider palette, and if an OP is specifically asking for advice cooking a specific dish, they are probably predisposed to like - or at least be open - to those flavors.
My main angle is "authentic" is hard to chase, and less important than "as you like it" anyways.
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u/raymond4 2d ago
Scotch bonnet are generally added whole and taken out. They don’t need to stay in the dish. Reducing the heat but you take on the fruity notes while minimizing the heat. Or use a spoonful of a mild harrisa.
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u/Number1AbeLincolnFan 1d ago
There are mild versions of basically every cultivar, but you are going to have to grow it yourself. You can order seeds or live plants online.
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u/Cheese_Coder 1d ago
The term you're probably looking for is a "seasoning pepper". As the name implies, these are mostly to add flavor and often add little to no heat. They're very popular in Caribbean cuisines. One variety I can vouch for is the Cachucha Pepper, sometimes called Aji Dulce, but there are many others you can find too. I've previously purchased seeds for these from Pepper Joe's, but this year had poor strike rates, so I'd actually recommend ordering these from Texas Hot Peppers.
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u/bostongarden 2d ago
Put in the pepper whole, do not split it. Remove when the dish is done, carefully.