Chile Pepper Inquest - Habanero

You can probably tell from earlier posts that I like to use chiles and chile powders in my cooking. I love the variety that exists in chiles in terms of their flavour, colour, heat and most of all, in how different chiles will hit your tongue at different times. Unfortunately, I'm pretty limited in my knowledge of chiles beyond jalapenos, poblanos and the powders mentioned above.

I'm hoping to change this. So part one of this inquest is the habanero. They pack a punch (150,000 to 350,000 on the Scoville scale as a point of reference, the jalepeno ranges from 2000 to 8000), but are among the most popular chile used in hot sauces, so I'm guessing they have a lot of flavour to go with the heat. Good place to start. 

Unfortunately, habanero chiles are hard to come by in in the Yukon so I'm going to have to piece together this flavour profile using an indirect route: Hot sauces.

I chose three different sauces (shown below) and tried a teaspoon of each.

Here is how it went:

Melinda's Original Habanero Pepper Sauce.

Ingredients: carrots, red habanero, onions, lime juice, vinegar, and salt.

I could clearly taste the lime juice, onion, tangy vinegar, and what could only be the habanero; bright fruity flavour. The only drawback was that it is pretty mild in terms of heat, which was sort of disappointing. Good news is it still had a lot of flavour which makes it a good option for people with a low tolerance for capsaicin. 

Marie Sharp's Habanero Pepper Sauce

Similar ingredients to Melinda's: carrots, red habanero, onions, lime juice, vinegar, garlic and salt.

The habanero came through much louder in this one. It was much hotter, and almost buttery. That same bright fruity taste was there but with smoky hints instead of tangy this time. I'd like to try a bite of one off the vine, but I think I'm starting to become familiar with this chile's intense flavour.


Brother Bru-Bru's African Hot Pepper Sauce

Much different this time around: apple cider vinegar, water, habanero peppers, japone peppers, garlic, domestic and African spices, xantham gum.

This one was somewhere between the two previous in terms of heat, but much more complex in flavour. This was an important one for me as the difference in ingredients between this sauce, and the previous two helped pin point the habanero a bit better, and also showed off a bit of its diversity.  

Fun Fact: Brother Bru-Bru is the guy that Bob Dylan dubbed "Mr. Tambourine Man".

Conclusion

In terms of the sauces, I think Marie Sharp's was my favourite due to the extra kick, and intense habanero flavour, however there is a niche for all of them in my kitchen.

As for the habanero chile, its bright fruity flavour is pretty unmistakeable. It is a strong flavour, and anything you make with it, will also have that distinct flavour. Luckily, you'll love that flavour - I do - and it would work well with hearty, rich, and delicate combinations. I would caution that it probably stands out too strong to work in most 'blended flavour' dishes such as curries; however, it would pair well in a dish with one or two other main ingredients.