# Red Pepper Flakes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [December 23, 2021, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509 "2021-12-23T01:00:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/21 "2021-12-23T22:18:34Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > If you order from Penzey’s, get their [Aleppo pepper.](https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/aleppo-pepper/c-24/p-878/pd-s) Yup, another vote for that. It’s my go-to for chili pepper flakes. ---
**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:** [December 23, 2021, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/22 "2021-12-23T22:19:56Z")
I don’t taste much difference between the various ripe colors (red, yellow, orange, purple, etc), and I’d pick between them based on how they looked on the plate, but the ripe ones definitely taste different (and, in my opinion, better) than the unripe ones. Ripe ones are sweeter, and less bitter. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/23 "2021-12-23T22:35:17Z")
OP, here’s a handy dandy chart. > **[Hot Pepper Heat Scale and the Scoville Scale](https://pepperjoe.com/pages/hot-pepper-heat-scale)** > > What is the hottest pepper in the world? Use Pepper Joe's heat scale as we rate the peppers from hottest to mildest by Scoville Heat Units and heat intensity! The hottest I’ve gone is Thai. Mrs. L picked some up at a Chinese market and whew, those are hot! I’ve also had habanero in very small amounts but I think the Thai were hotter. As peppers age they get hotter…[Source](https://www.pepperscale.com/how-to-grow-hotter-peppers/#:~:text=hybrid%20plant.-,Let%20chili%20peppers%20age%20on%20the%20vine,for%20a%20much%20spicier%20experience.) If you’re not used to hot and spicy, and you decide to try cooking with peppers, be careful not to touch your eyes. Or your nose. Etc. Also, if you eat something too hot the way to stop your mouth from burning is dairy. Have some yogurt, cheese, ice cream, or milk. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/24 "2021-12-23T23:05:21Z")
Especially the “etc.” I’m not going into detail on this one ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/25 "2021-12-23T23:35:38Z")
> [@Kropotkin](#): > > Especially the “etc.” I’m not going into detail on this one Ahem, yes. Surprising, isn’t it? Another odd sensation: if it burned going in…? But that only happened to me after the first time I ate really hot stuff. My brother took me to a place where they had a burger that you didn’t dare eat. I dared. I think it had about two bottles of Tabasco in it. After a couple bites I wasn’t sure, but I soldiered on. And I finished it—no repercussions later. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > FWIW there is no difference between the different colors of bell peppers. The yellow, orange and green ones are just more ripe version of the green bell pepper. > The general rule for fruit is that the sugar content in ripe fruit is typically greater than in unripe fruit. That holds true for peppers where 100 grams of ripe red bell will give you 4.2 grams while the same amount of green bell gives you 2.4 grams. The exact amount varies depending on which resource you use and probably varies from between peppers based on factors like soil quality and fertilizers, but all have a similar gap in sugar content. Red bell peppers always contain more than the green ones. [Source](https://www.pepperscale.com/sugar-in-peppers/) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/26 "2021-12-23T23:39:03Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > Another odd sensation: if it burned going in…? If it doesn’t burn coming out, it wasn’t hot enough going in. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/27 "2021-12-24T00:36:48Z")
**Red Pepper Flakes** Worst Breakfast Cereal Ever! My kid will never forgive me! ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/28 "2021-12-24T00:44:58Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > The yellow, orange and green ones are just more ripe version of the green bell pepper. They have the same nutrition and flavor as green ones but are substantially more expensive than green ones. Gotta disagree with you. Green bell peppers have a very different flavor than the mellower red bells, and the yellow and orange bell peppers are even mellower. I would have no difficulty telling them apart blindfolded (although to me the yellow and orange taste the same). In fact one of my kids won’t eat the green, but she’ll eat the others. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/29 "2021-12-24T01:05:03Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > …I’ve lately preferred making them without and, if desired, just adding some **garlic chili sauce** on top Just wanted to chime in to say that I recently discovered [chili garlic sauce at Walmart](https://www.walmart.com/ip/HUY-FONG-SAUCE-CHILI-GARLIC-18-OZ/17768827), and I _love_ it. It has just the “right” amount of spiciness, and it’s even calorie-free. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/30 "2021-12-24T01:48:52Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > …I’ve lately preferred making them without and, if desired, just adding some **garlic chili sauce** on top > > Just wanted to chime in to say that I recently discovered [chili garlic sauce at Walmart](https://www.walmart.com/ip/HUY-FONG-SAUCE-CHILI-GARLIC-18-OZ/17768827), and I _love_ it. It has just the “right” amount of spiciness, and it’s even calorie-free.   That’s exactly the stuff. Not just at Walmart – at groceries all over. Made by the same folks who make sriracha sauce, but thicker and more flavourful, IMHO. I bought it once when the local grocery was out of sriracha, and it’s now my preferred hot chili sauce. Terrific with Singapore noodles. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/31 "2021-12-24T15:01:37Z")
I find the garlic a bit too much in that one and much prefer the Sambal Olek, which is basically the same thing with less garlic. A spoonful in a bowl of ramen noodles is awesome. [https://images.app.goo.gl/qDrxBZ7L6jzRPkjH6](https://images.app.goo.gl/qDrxBZ7L6jzRPkjH6) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/32 "2021-12-24T15:14:02Z")
I like the garlic so it’s not a problem for me. I haven’t seen Sambal Olek in stores, although Asian stores would likely have it. The only Huy Fong stuff that is regularly found is the sriracha and the chili garlic. ---
**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:** [December 24, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/33 "2021-12-24T15:29:26Z")
They vary in heat, but the stuff at a pizza place is usually quite mild in my experience. I was at a Grimaldi’s yesterday and had to unscrew the pepper jar to put a reasonable amount of red pepper on the pizza, and it still had next to no discernible heat (at least to me.) I would have ordered a pizza with jalapeños or something on it, but we had to share with too many people that wouldn’t like it. At home I use flakes from my bullet-shaped Thai chiles I grow. Those have a reasonable amount of heat, but are generally much hotter than what is expected from a recipe that calls for red pepper flakes. Something more in the 5-10k Scoville scale would be appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/34 "2021-12-24T16:14:44Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Gotta disagree with you. Green bell peppers have a very different flavor than the mellower red bells, and the yellow and orange bell peppers are even mellower. I would have no difficulty telling them apart blindfolded (although to me the yellow and orange taste the same). In fact one of my kids won’t eat the green, but she’ll eat the others. Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/35 "2021-12-24T16:48:15Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > I like spicy but I’ve never been a fan of Red pepper flakes. I don’t like the mouth feel. I agree. And the Aleppo peppers I excitedly bought from Spice House with high anticipation were indistinguishable from those in a freshly filled shaker at the local pizza joint. And for pizza, I prefer hot sauce, anyway. Sriracha, cayenne like Franks, Yucateco, etc. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/36 "2021-12-24T17:10:27Z")
I inherited red pepper flakes from my mom. She grew the peppers about forty years ago, and they are still hot! ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/37 "2021-12-24T17:19:35Z")
I’ve never understood the appeal of hot peppers or hot sauces on most Italian dishes, and in general I like spicy food. But to me, Italian – as in pizza, lasagna, or any pasta with a tomato-based sauce – is a dish where the principal taste should be mellow, not spicy. I once tried an unusually expensive pasta sauce called Truff, made with truffles and hot seasonings. To my taste, both the truffles and the hotness detracted from what a pasta sauce should be. I quite disliked it, despite some rave reviews. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/38 "2021-12-24T17:32:50Z")
Now you have me wondering: of all the sauces like fermented chilli paste, ma’booj, etc. out there in the world, which ones are pretty spicy _and_ also go well with pizza? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509/39 "2021-12-24T17:53:09Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > … which ones are pretty spicy _and_ also go well with pizza? I enjoy the vinegar tang from the cayenne sauces best of all. But those aren’t usually too spicy. But that’s OK, pizza isn’t something I want too spicy anyway. I suppose I’d tolerate Tabasco on pizza which I really only like on a few narrow things, mostly diner hash browns. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-pepper-flakes/956509.md?page=1)