Adding heat to your dishes is something that many people are trying to do.
Not only can spice make the food taste more enticing, but it can also increase our appetite and release endorphins that make us feel happier.
Each of these options will let you add heat to any dish you want, whether it’s sweet or savory, and you won’t want to eat without them again!
Red Pepper Flakes
Whether you’re a beginner cook or you’ve been cooking for over fifty years, red pepper flakes are a staple you should have in your home.
Not only are these flakes fantastic for adding flavor to any dish, but they’re also low in price and easy to moderate how much you add.
Their heat can be built up over time, and you can also use them to make things like hot oil that can be used to cook or flavor foods.
Cinnamon for Sweet Dishes
If you’re making sweeter dishes and want to put some heat into them, cinnamon is the way to go. Cinnamon has a lot of heat in it and rounds out the flavors of whatever you’re making.
This can be anything from sweet heat breads to cookies that you want to make more flavorful.
Cinnamon is also used in savory dishes, but it depends on your tastes and what interests you the most.
If you’re not used to the flavor of cinnamon paired with meat, it can be something to get used to.
Fun Pepper Jellies
If you don’t want to work with whole peppers, using a pepper jelly dip can help elevate the foods without cutting or deseed anything!
Pepper jellies are fantastic because you can use them as a coating for chicken or port, and you can even spread them onto a hamburger bun to take your meat to the next level!
These are gaining much popularity quickly, so don’t be surprised if this is on everyone’s must-buy list within the next couple of months!
Horseradish
If you’re not a fan of peppers and still want some heat, horseradish is a great ingredient that will change how you look at spicy food!
Not only is the heat milder, but its flavor lets off a funky, almost pickled taste.
Horseradish is good in everything from bread to meat dishes and can be enjoyed by anyone who wants that zip and spice without the capsaicin.
Powdered Chiltepin
Chiltepin is a fantastic ingredient that’s slowly gaining a following in the United States.
A chiltepin pepper is one of the hottest chiles globally, with enough heat that you don’t need to add much to a recipe to make it explode with flavor.
The best part of chiltepin when powdered is that it adds virtually no taste: only heat.
This ingredient has to be handled with care: avoid making the powder yourself and instead buy it in powder form.
Although it’s possible to make the powder with dried peppers, the dust it lets into the air can be hazardous to your lungs if you don’t do it safely.