Chilies are the most popular seasoning in the world after salt. Unlike peppers, to which they are closely related, the different varieties of chili can have widely different heat value - from the "just spicy" to the "fiery hot" variety. Chilies are more nutritious than sweet peppers, and the red varieties generally have a higher nutritional content than the green ones.

What Makes Chilies So Hot? Capsaicin is a substance in chilies that have no odor or flavor but impart their bite by acting directly on the mouth's pain receptors. This results in the teary eyes, runny nose, and sweating experienced by most people who indulge in the hotter varieties. This substance is concentrated mainly in the white ribs and seeds, which can be removed to produce a milder flavor.

Scoville Units: Chilies hotness is rated in Scoville units. Scoville Units are the measurement of capsaicin level (the substance that makes chilies hot). The hottest pepper on record is the Habañero/Scotch bonnet which some claim are the same pepper and others claim are slightly different varieties. Habañeros are rated at 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville units. By contrast, the lowly Serrano comes in at about 5,000 to 15,000 Scoville units.

Varieties:

• Anaheim Chili is along, thin chili with a blunt end; this chili can be red or green and has a mild, sweet taste.
• Ancho this chili looks like tiny peppers. They are mild enough to taste their underlying sweetness.
• Birdeye or Bird Chili or Pequin these small red varieties are fiery hot.
• Early Jalapeno is a popular American chili, which starts dark green and gradually turns to red.
• Habanero also called Scotch Bonnet this variety is the hottest of all chilies and is small and can be green, red or yellow. Color is not real guide to its heat properties, so don't be fooled into thinking that green ones are mild. They are all very hot.
• Poblano is a small, dark green chili, served whole in Spain either roasted or grilled. They are mostly mild but you should still be cautious when eating them whole.
• Red these are long, rather wrinkled chilies which are green at first and then gradually ripen to red.
• Serrano a long, red and very hot chili.

Benefits:

• An excellent source of vitamin A and C. Just one ounce of chilies contains 70mg of vitamin C, more than 100% of the RDA, and about 70% of the RDA for vitamin A.
• The capsaicin in chilies may act as an anticoagulant perhaps helping to prevent blood clots that can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
• For those with a cold or allergies, eating chilies can provide temporary relief from nasal and sinus congestion.
• Chilies contain bioflavonoids that may help prevent cancer.

Caution: May aggravate hemorrhoids in susceptible people.