# "Hot" spices other than New World chili peppers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707 "2005-03-29T01:24:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/1 "2005-03-29T01:24:51Z")
As a chilihead, I have a strong interest in “hot” spices, always looking for new ones – but it appears practically all of them are made from some species of chili pepper. Presumably there was little “hot” food in the Old World before Columbus. So far as I can find, the only other hot spices are: black pepper ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black\_pepper](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_pepper)) – “white pepper,” “green pepper” and “pink pepper” are all just _piper niger_ at a different state of maturity, or refined. mustard ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustard](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustard)) horseradish ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseradish](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseradish)) wasabi ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasabi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasabi)) (called “Japanese horseradish” but it’s from a different plant) Szechuan pepper ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szechuan\_pepper](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szechuan_pepper)) – a Chinese spice; I’ve never had it, so far as I know (it might have been an ingredient in a Chinese dish I’ve eaten) Is that the whole list? Are there any others? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/2 "2005-03-29T01:37:30Z")
Ginger’s fairly “hot.” If you don’t believe me, chew on some raw ginger… ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/3 "2005-03-29T01:44:53Z")
Curry powder can be hot. Typical ingredients of curry powder include coriander, turmeric, cumin, mustard, fenugreek, cardamom, nutmeg, red pepper, cinnamon, and cloves (from Wikopedia). ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/4 "2005-03-29T04:38:14Z")
If your in the US then Szechuan peppercorns are illegal to bring into the country although theres a lively trade in grey market smuggling for foodies in the know. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/5 "2005-03-29T04:40:21Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > If your in the US then Szechuan peppercorns are illegal to bring into the country . . . 😕 Why? There’s no trade embargo on China. Is there something dangerous about Szechuan peppercorns? ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/6 "2005-03-29T05:10:03Z")
From [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szechuan_pepper) : The USDA currently forbids the import of Szechuan peppercorns into the United States due to a citrus canker detected in related species. ---
**Author:** ![MisterThyristor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MisterThyristor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterThyristor)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/7 "2005-03-29T10:03:15Z")
Actually, pink peppercorns are a totally different species than black or white peppercorns. But they are also New World plants, originating in either Brazil or Peru. The Peruvian species is _Schinus molle_, the Brazilian is _Schinus Terebinthifolius_. ---
**Author:** ![MisterThyristor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MisterThyristor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterThyristor)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/8 "2005-03-29T10:39:35Z")
And there are other species of pepper in the _Piperaceae_ family that are no longer commonly used except in other countries: Cubeb pepper – _Piper cubeba_ Ashanti pepper – _Piper guineense_ Long pepper – _Piper longum_, somtimes also used for _Piper retrofractum_ The first two have sweet overtones. Long pepper was originally imported into Europe before black pepper, and is supposedly more pungent. Then there is the Negro pepper which is unrelated to black pepper – _Xylopia aethiopica_, which is supposed to be sweet-hot with overtones of a nutmeg flavor. It was occasionally imported into Europe from Africa when black pepper was unavailable. A couple of other plants which produce a “hot” taste: Tasmanian pepper – _Tasmania lanceolata_, which is supposed to start out sweet, progress quickly to a pungent “hot” taste, followed by numbness. (similar to Sichuan pepper) Water pepper – _Polygonum hydropiper_ – fresh leaves are used in Japanese cooking and are supposed to have a similar taste effect to Tasmanian pepper and Sichuan pepper. All of these were found in one of my favorite online spice references – [Gernot Katzer’s Spice Pages](http://www-ang.kfunigraz.ac.at/~katzer/engl/). He lists a huge number of spices unseen in this country. Along with all the spice listings are the names in dozens of languages, so that you can tell for sure if the spice listed in that Asian cookbook is really the same spice that is available here or if it is just a substitute with the same name in English. Really, it’s a great reference. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/9 "2005-03-29T15:01:33Z")
There are many greens, in addition to mustard, which have a very peppery effect. Not exactly hot like chile pepper, but more like black pepper or mustard. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/10 "2005-03-29T15:09:57Z")
Turmeric (the stuff that makes your curries yellow) can have a helluva bite, as anyone who’s used it in place of saffron to color yellow rice knows. While most Hungarian paprika is sweet, there are some [hot varieties](http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyspaprika.html). ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/11 "2005-03-29T15:13:30Z")
Second the hotness of paprika. I mentioned to somebody once that that’s what makes Flamin’ Hot Cheetos flamin’ hot. He said that paprika wasn’t hot, so I handed him a handful and took his water away from him… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/12 "2005-03-29T15:27:09Z")
> [@Ukulele Ike](#): > > Turmeric (the stuff that makes your curries yellow) can have a helluva bite, as anyone who’s used it in place of saffron to color yellow rice knows. > > While most Hungarian paprika is sweet, there are some [hot varieties](http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyspaprika.html). Paprika is generally made from New World peppers, which is what the OP was trying to get away from. However, if you’re interested in some truly flavorful paprika, try [Spanish paprika](http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/search.asp?cat=51&qry=paprika) (scroll down about halfway) in either hot or sweet variety. It has a deep smoky flavor that beats Hungarian hands down. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/13 "2005-03-29T16:03:13Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Paprika is generally made from New World peppers, which is what the OP was trying to get away from. However, if you’re interested in some truly flavorful paprika, try [Spanish paprika](http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/search.asp?cat=51&qry=paprika) (scroll down about halfway) in either hot or sweet variety. It has a deep smoky flavor that beats Hungarian hands down. I don’t know. Good quality Hungarian sweet paprika is phenomenal. The stuff they sell in the stores (Pride of Szeged, typically) is decent, but I get mine shipped to me when Hungarian friends visit or when I visit there (typically twice a year.) You’d be surprised at the sheer variety of paprika they have there: there’s four basic grades of paprika—all with different flavor profiles, plus some of these varieties come in different levels of heat. The best paprika I’ve ever had was freshly home-ground paprika my girlfriend’s parents made. The intensity of the red color and the aroma of the essential oils was amazing. Spanish paprika is great, too. But I would say it’s a bit hyperbolic to say it beats Hungarian hands down. Personalloy, I prefer Hungarian for most uses, although as long as you use either Hungarian or Spanish paprika, I have no qualms. (That McCormick stuff is utter crap. It doesn’t even _look_ like paprika with it’s dull reddish brown color. Most paprika should be a vibrant red.) ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/14 "2005-03-29T16:52:29Z")
Several radish varieties are quite hot. I once read that, if the nasal cavity is blocked off, black pepper and cinnamon will be perceived exactly the same by the tongue. I never tried it. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/15 "2005-03-29T17:22:06Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > If your in the US then Szechuan peppercorns are illegal to bring into the country although theres a lively trade in grey market smuggling for foodies in the know. They are available in most places except US, though they aren’t really all that hot and are more arromatic in flavour. Garlic can be quite hot if raw, as can be some onions. Vinegar can bring out the hot spicyness in several of the mentioned spices. Pickled onions with mustard, garlic a little ginger, a little allspice and some black peper would have quite a bite to it without any chilli in the mix. Pickled horse radish root might be worth an experiment (for the foolhardy). ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/16 "2005-03-29T18:43:08Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I don’t know. Good quality Hungarian sweet paprika is phenomenal. The stuff they sell in the stores (Pride of Szeged, typically) is decent, but I get mine shipped to me when Hungarian friends visit or when I visit there (typically twice a year.) You’d be surprised at the sheer variety of paprika they have there: there’s four basic grades of paprika—all with different flavor profiles, plus some of these varieties come in different levels of heat. The best paprika I’ve ever had was freshly home-ground paprika my girlfriend’s parents made. The intensity of the red color and the aroma of the essential oils was amazing. > > Spanish paprika is great, too. But I would say it’s a bit hyperbolic to say it beats Hungarian hands down. Personalloy, I prefer Hungarian for most uses, although as long as you use either Hungarian or Spanish paprika, I have no qualms. (That McCormick stuff is utter crap. It doesn’t even _look_ like paprika with it’s dull reddish brown color. Most paprika should be a vibrant red.) I probably should have said it beats most commercially available paprika hands down. I haven’t tried Hungarian, other than in dishes prepared in Budapest. ---
**Author:** ![Scarface\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Scarface\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarface_Z)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/17 "2005-03-29T19:05:02Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > There are many greens, in addition to mustard, which have a very peppery effect. Not exactly hot like chile pepper, but more like black pepper or mustard. Arugula perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/18 "2005-03-29T19:46:20Z")
Many mints are also rather “hot”, when sufficiently concentrated. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/19 "2005-03-29T21:29:40Z")
Cilantro is an excellent example. Biting into a piece of fresh cilantro can give a “hot” feeling. Cloves burn a bit, but I don’t know if I would call them “hot” as much as “intense”. You don’t need water to deal with a clove, but you don’t want to hold it in your mouth and suck on it for too long either. A Pakistani friend of mine says that it is a folk remedy for toothache in Pakistan to squeeze a bit of clove oil out of a fresh clove onto a hurting tooth. I’m not sure I could handle that. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707/20 "2005-03-29T23:08:24Z")
**Mtgman** : In the book _Marathon Man_, oil of cloves is mentioned as a toothache remedy. Also, it’s a key ingredient in most OTC toothace remedies. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-spices-other-than-new-world-chili-peppers/296707.md?page=2)