Dedicated to the evaluation and enjoyment of chile peppers
SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES AND CHILE PEPPER RESOURCES
Advancements in the field of pepper sensory science can be found here. If you are interested in the chemical composition of peppers that gives each one its signature flavor, I encourage you to check out the articles below. Many of these articles provided the basis for the pepper aroma wheel and the fresh pepper tasting scorecard.
In addition to scientific papers focused on chile peppers, there are some articles on the development of the revolutionary wine aroma wheel and aroma wheels developed for other products like distilled spirits. I plan to expand the scope of this section to include articles on health benefits, growing peppers, regional pepper traditions, and recipe ideas.
Please also check out the links to chile pepper resources and research organizations like the venerated Chile Pepper Institute of New Mexico State University.
This is the seminal work in which the wine aroma wheel was conceived. Professor Ann Noble and collegues developed this visual system to assist wine tasters in rapid identification of the aromas that impart uniques flavor to each wine. I was priveleged to have Dr. Nolbe herself lead my class and me through a wine tasting where we heavily relied on the aroma wheel. The aroma wheel continued to develop over the years, as will the chile pepper aroma wheel.
The original aroma wheel was updated with some new descriptors in this highly referenced 1987 article. Several nut aromas were added amongst other revisions which made the aroma wheel more broadly applicable to regional wine styles outside of France and California.
Home to some of the most innovative and impactful reaserch in pepper agriculture and sensory science. Also a great source for pepper seeds!
Gas chromatography mass spectometric (GC-MS) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis of aroma compounds in habanero peppers. The authors identified 66 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can be atrributed to the characteristic fruity flavors of habaneros. They also proposed a pathway for the biosynthesis of capsaicin and related capsaicinoids.
This 2015 work breaks down the characteristics of C. annuum peppers affecting perception of quality and flavor. The innovative aspect of this work was the development of a list of physical aspects such as appearance and texture descriptors that have largely gone unaddressed in the literature. This work heavily influenced the development of the PEPPERDOC fresh pepper tasting scorecard.
Have you ever noticed that hot and superhot peppers often have a characteristic smell that seems to warn you of the spiciness you are about to endure? This innovative work investigated the VOC provile of 22 domesticated and wild pepper varieties and correlated mass spectroscopic signatures of aroma compounds with perceived spiciness. This in especially interesting since flavor comes from smell, but spiciness is a pain sensation and not an aroma.