Talk:Habanero chili

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[edit] "Habañero"

Habanero is sometimes misspelt with a ñ? That's retarded. It's spelled that way in Spanish, isn't it? --aciel 01:57, 7 August 2005 (UTC)

No it's not. It's spelled "Habanero" --because of the Cuban Capital City "La Habana" (Havana in English), where this chile is believed to be from. Cacuija 00:31, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

-- Cacuija is right, Habanero takes no accent.Tina Brooks 02:42, 1 March 2006 (UTC)

(Very basic reminder for those who don't know: Spanish has both an "n" and an "ñ" (pronounced "enn" and "en-yae") -- they are considered separate letters; using the wrong one is considered a misspelling).

I have habanero peppers in a container. They are beginning to turn orange. When should I pick them? Can they be combined with milder peppers for pepper sauce? --24.98.202.94 15:41, 29 July 2006 (UTC) JoAnn from Georgia

I don't see why they can't be combined with other, more mild, peppers for pepper sauce. For ideas I recommend recipezaar.com Sean Reed, 23:17, 25 March 2007 (PST)

[edit] Capitalization, use of "trademark", etc

I'd like to have somebody review the capitalization. I mostly left the capitalization the way I found it when I ran through and edited the article today. However, concerning me are:

  • Habanero vs habanero
  • Scoville units vs scoville units
  • Scotch Bonnet vs scotch bonnet vs Scotch bonnet
  • the lack of a "trademark" symbol after Red Savina (which should be capitalized)

I'm generally good with punctuation, but capitalization evades me. Regarding the RS, as it is patented, and listed with a "tm" (don't know the html entity for that) everywhere, I think it is probably appropriate here. aa v ^ 17:19, 11 February 2006 (UTC)

-- Before giving Red Savina a TM symbol verify that there is a registered trademark with the trademarks database; I believe it owns the TM, but it's should be verified.
* habanero
* Scoville units
* scotch bonnet
* Red Savina
Tina Brooks 02:46, 1 March 2006 (UTC)
I have confirmed in the Trademark database that Red Savina Habanero is indeed a registered trademark, [[1]], if someone who knows how to add the TM mark would, it would be helpful.

Tina Brooks 21:25, 7 March 2006 (UTC)

I have added the TM mark to Red Savina, for future reference the HTML Code for the Trademark symbol is ™.
Sean Reed 23:05, 25 March 2007 (PST)

[edit] JAVANERO

I had understood that the original denomination in Spanish was "JAVANERO" i.e. from the island of Java in Indonesia. Spanish speaking people in the Americas soon began pronouncing this as "HABANERO" (from HABANA, Cuba) which is more familiar sounding and the original meaning was soon forgotten.

This makes me wonder: Who discovered the hot chilli peppers first? The Indians from the Americas? Or the Indians from India?

A far-fetched posibility: Could there be independent varieties of the same plant indigenous in both continents?

Any botanist out there willing to enhance this article?

It's unlikely that it comes from java. 201.23.64.2 05:06, 21 July 2006 (UTC)
Chile peppers of all types are indigenous only to the Americas. There's no way they could come from Java. adamrice 22:56, 2 August 2006 (UTC)
The Java origin myth is disinformation perpetrated by anon IP 200.4.56.87 and I can't believe it's lasted this long. Now corrected. Collabi 03:52, 14 November 2006 (UTC)
There are actually quite a few peppers indigenous to Asia and prominent in traditional Asian cuisine, particularly in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Burma. According to Mexican common wisdom, the Habanero pepper is one of these chiles, and it did, in fact, get the new name "Habanero" in Yucatán. Check this page out: http://www.etiquetanegra.com.pe/revista/2003/07/chile.htm (No todos los chiles que llevamos a nuestras tortillas son oriundos de México. El más picante de la república lleva el nombre de habanero. Se trata de un apéndice furioso y amarillo que llegó de Java en el Galeón de Manila y se convirtió en condimento decisivo de la cocina yucateca. En un principio se le decía "javanero", pero como en Mérida las cosas buenas vienen de La Habana, adoptó un nombre más seductor. Sus semillas queman la lengua como pólvora encendida.) Since I am a Habanero enthusiast, but not a botanist, and do not have unequivocal evidence to support this claim, I will leave the page as it is, but do encourage the debate to be carried out further here. Schoeler 23:00, 18 November 2006 (UTC)
I think the Black Label writer is citing the same myth that's somehow sprung up around the origin of Asian peppers. It's true that capsicum has been cultivated in Asia for over four hundred years now -- long enough for it to enter the traditional cuisine -- but it's no more native to the region than tomatoes are native to Italy, or potatoes to Ireland. Still, it's clear how the misconception could arise. One thing to remember about literary journals like Black Label is that they're not scientific authorities: their writers are famed for their literary skills, and usually just use their own memories, Google, and Wikipedia for some quick research on scientific topics they're writing.
I'm not a botanist myself (even if I were, for me to make an ex cathedra statement would be "original research") but one doesn't need a PhD to do a quick science journal search. The best online cites I found are [2] and [3]. I also found a very thorough but non-peer-reviewed article at [4], which is mostly interesting for its very extensive bibliography with citations to lots of articles on capsicum origins. The seminal papers appear to be Smith, P.G. and C.B. Heiser, Jr. 1957. Breeding behavior of cultivated peppers. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 70:286-290 and McLeod, M.J., S.I. Guttman, and W.H. Eshbaugh. 1982. Early evolution of chili peppers (Capsicum). Econ. Bot. 36:361-368, but as I don't have easy access to a major university research library any more, those are a little tougher for me to dig up and reproduce here! Collabi 01:36, 20 November 2006 (UTC)
I stand corrected. Thank you, Collabi. Now, I think it might be useful to include the "Javanero myth" in the article, both to view it in its proper light and as an example of how popular beliefs are so often inconsistent with reality. I could prepare the paragraph if someone seconds the motion... Schoeler 15:40, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Roasting

It would be nice to mention that when jabanero peppers are roasted the heat declines and the citrus or melon flavors are accentuated. I believe that some of the capsaicin becomes vanillin and this produces the sweet aroma upon roasting, but someone else probably knows more about this than I do.

Simple cooking doesn't turn capsaicin into vanillin; it just incinerates some of it away, so that the underlying sweet flavor of the fruit itself is more pronounced. Collabi 22:33, 16 November 2006 (UTC)

Hmmm, that sounds good. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 23:43, 18 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Burns The Skin and Eyes

Someone on the Cayenne article mentioned care should be used handling Cayenne peppers because the oil will stay on the skin and burn sensitive areas. I would also like to chime in that that habanero oil is metaphorically evil because not only does it not wash off for days, but any contact will burn intensely and for quite a while.

  • no kidding ... i was chopping some habaneros once with my hands (which i'm normally fine with) but then i took a break to pee. ouch. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 18.250.0.177 (talk) 23:23, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

It might be useful to include a warning that anyone cutting habaneros should consider wearing gloves, because the oil can strongly irritate the skin. The result is similar to a sunburn, and the pain will not disappear until the skin heals, even if the oil is washed off the skin using soap. Anyone touching a habanero should be very cautious not to touch the face or eyes afterwards.

A cursory reading of the capsaicin article indicates that there is nothing to "heal" from. I've never had an injury from chili peppers of any kind, even when I'm dumb enough to rub my eyes after I've been handling them, and I cook with (and cut and grow and pick) habaneros and jalapeños all the time. Think of it this way: if you could burn your skin on a habanero, then why in your right mind would you eat them? Lomaprieta 01:46, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

Wash your hands with soap and it is fine. Always wash your hands with soap before going to the washroom. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 01:51, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

That made me laugh out loud right in the middle of class. Lomaprieta 01:57, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Yum

I LOVE habanero peppers. Habanero fiery doritos <33. Habanero pepper cheese <333. Blazin sauce from Buffalo Wild Wings <3333.

[edit] habanero vs. jabanero

It seems unlikely that Javanero is an alternative to Habanero. Habana is likely a native term. In the Spanish of the time, the H was replacing the F (as in Fablar--Hablar), as had already occured with the F becoming a J (Foder-Joder). However, the J has rarely become an H. Then as now, the B and V can be interchanged with no pronunciation difference.

What's the difference between habanero and jabanero? I always understood it to be spelled with a "J". Is that just a common misspelling, and alternate spelling, or is there some history to it? --71.13.96.66 15:48, 3 November 2006 (UTC)

ive never heard it spelled with a "j".Drrake 01:19, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

It's an interesting question. I think the javanero might be a mistake made by English speakers, sort of like in English "marijuana" is spelled with a j, but in Spanish, it's usually "marihuana." Just a thought.Cadwaladr (talk) 05:06, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] i did it ^.^

i fixed the picture title it use to be "an habenero" :)Drrake 01:19, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] An incredible Scoville

From the article "The Source, from Original Juan Specialty Foods, is rated at 7.1 million Scoville units". Now that is a lot of heat. So much that I very much doubt such a number. Does anyone know? --Dumarest 12:20, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

The Scoville_scale page lists pepper spray as 2-5 million, so if that's accurate... probably not. Maybe someone misread a figure of 710,000? Lomaprieta 12:25, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

Back to this. I have checked the site for the maker of "The Source" - the main page gives 1.7 million Scoville units, but all other pages give 7.1 million units. Now, the pages note that pure capsiacin is 16 million Scoville units, so, if the heat index progression is linear and not logarithmic, that means that the 7.1 mlllion Scoville units is a concoction that is approaching 50% pure capsaicin. Of course I am overreacting, but things just do not sound right. --Dumarest 19:58, 16 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] New image

Hi, the old image in the infobox was overexposed and had alot of hotspots. So I went to the market and got one and took another image. I think it is an improvement, anyone else have an opinion? HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 17:58, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

I, too, wasn't real fond of the previous image. I do like the new one, although I'd brighten it up a little bit and reduce the vertical scale of it (it's gobbling up half the page presently). Other than that, yeah, it's an improvement. ... aa:talk 18:19, 14 November 2006 (UTC)
Thanks, I am leaving the old one there till tommorow as it is the Picture of the Day, and is shown on the main page. I should leave it alone till it is gone or it will appear in no articles. I removed a section I thought to be off topic, I don't mind if someone disagrees and reverts. I would love to hear the reasoning though. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 18:25, 14 November 2006 (UTC)
I tried adjusting the size of the image to reduce the height. However, if I reduce the height the width also reduces and the box no longer matches up with the box below and looks unpleasant. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 18:29, 14 November 2006 (UTC)
Maybe reframe and re-take the photo? Also see the one I took, presently in use at Red Savina. I personally think that's a good picture for this article, but the person who "unmerged" the red savina content to its own article felt it would be confusing (although the RS is in fact a habanero...). I could send you a pepper that's "less vertically inclined", but it would of course be red. :) ... aa:talk 12:42, 15 November 2006 (UTC)


I have 'adjusted' the proportions - the image is here

. Not the same, but still looks like a fine habanero, and is no longer so tall. --Dumarest 14:01, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

I do not think it is encyclopedically sounds to adjust the aspect ratio of an image like that. I don't think it's size is overly disruptive. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 15:26, 15 November 2006 (UTC)
Uh, it looks like a habanero to me... I wonder whether it is "not encyclopedic" if it still looks like the subject? In our recent crop, we got some that were the size of dimes, and others the size of silver dollars. There is great variance. I don't think the longer image is "disruptive" per se, but it really takes up a lot of space on the page. You don't think that's just unattractive?
I have no problem with a short habenero, if I knew it was important I would have chosen one. I just don't think it is encyclopedic to digitally alter an image to produce a pepper that never really existed in that form. I will retake this image eventually, with a more compact aspect ratio. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 00:15, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Spelling

I always thought that it was spelt Habanero chili instead of Haberano chile. Chile is a country and chili is a pepper. Also, the link for Chile pepper redirects to Chili pepper. AstroHurricane001 18:38, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

Ironically, wikipedia is not to be used as a source for out articles. I have always seen the word spelled "chile." Can you cite something to the contrary? ... aa:talk 16:38, 22 November 2006 (UTC)
try a dictionary, [5] Adam McCormick 01:45, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Shameless plug for Tabasco/McIlheny, Co

That short paragraph really doesn't belong there. Plenty of manufacturers make a habanero hot sauce and the McIlheny version is hardly worth mentioning - except as part of a shameless advertisement. PLenty of nmuch better hab sauces out there. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.34.103.232 (talk) 00:00, 14 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] AN habanero chile

A while ago, I changed the image caption from "a habanero" to "an habanero", reflecting the spanish pronunciation. This is consistent with three other usages in the article. A couple people changed it back since then. I convinced one of them to allow me to change it back, but people keep changing it right back. There is obviously no consensus on pronunciation, but it should at least be consistent.

- Misha

216.254.12.114 23:44, 19 October 2007 (UTC)

Well, it looks like I've lost the spelling war.

- Misha

216.254.12.114 22:51, 21 October 2007 (UTC)

This user prefers An, but prefers not to get into a spelling (grammar) war. There should be uniform usage of either A or An Habanero in the article. It maybe worth noting that the Merriam Webster online dictionary pronounces the word with an H sound, which would make A Habanero seem a logical choice. DAMurphy 06:32, 22 October 2007 (UTC)

Merriam Webster is wrong. Habanero is a Spanish word and the H is NOT pronounced. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Senor Cuete (talk • contribs) 00:10, 23 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Chile or Chili?

I noticed that most reference within Wikipedia and even inside the article itself say chile rather than Chili. Maybe a move back would be correct? CharonX/talk 18:26, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Origin statements require reliable sources

I moved the bolded part from the article:

The chili's name is derived from the name of the Cuban city of Havana, which was formerly called "La Habana," and can sometimes be mistaken for being originated in Cuba (despite the fact that Cubans are unaccustomed to eating spicy foods in general) though it originated in Mexico there spicy food is common.[6]

We need reliable sources for origin statements. To state it is "mistaken for being originated in Cuba", we need to establish and cite where it actually originated. To state it originated in Mexico contradicts the text which states it "originated in Meso- or South America, most likely the Amazon basin or nearby coastal regions." In fact the source given above states "The Habanero, which translates as Havana, might have originated in Cuba, but Mexico claims the distinction." Contrary to the removed text above, it implies that the Habanero might have originated in Cuba. This statement itself is not sourced, and the recipe site does not constitute a reliable source. Dforest (talk) 21:26, 20 February 2008 (UTC)