Peppermania
The popularity of peppers really heated up in 1993, when the National Garden Bureau designated that year as "The Year of the Pepper." But they have never really cooled down as "peppermania" continues to grow. Salsa outsells ketchup as the number one condiment in America. Department stores and catalogs are selling T-shirts, boxer shorts, bathrobes, neckties, pants and caps covered with pepper images.

The public's increasing fondness for Caribbean, Thai, Korean, Cajun, Tex-Mex and other cuisines in which peppers play an important role is surely one reason for the burgeoning use of the pepper motif. Now we have everything from pepper earrings and napkin rings to strands of pepper Christmas lights.

Measuring the Fire
Pepper heat, measured in Scoville Heat Units, ranges from the mild bell and paprika types, at 0 heat units, to the jalapeno, at 3,500 to 4,500 units, to the infernal habanero -- reported to be one of the world's hottest at 200,000 to 300,000 units.
Pepper flavor can be complex and range from the almost fruity sweetness of some of the ripe bells to the smokey and earthy tones of some dried types. Chipotles (smoke dried jalapenos) are a tasty new favorite. If you love the jalapeno flavor but can't take the heat, try the TAM Mild Jalapeno with less than half the heat of the original, or the virtually heatless Senorita and False Alarm Hybrid.

Capsaicin, the enzyme responsible for pepper "heat," is found primarily in the white membranes containing the seed inside the pepper. You can dramatically reduce pungency by cutting these areas away and discarding them.

Peppers as Crime Fighters
Other uses besides flavor have been found for the pepper's heat. Several companies make repellent sprays for four-legged plant-eating critters based on the capsaicin enzyme. Capsaicin is the main ingredient in squirrel-deterring suet cakes for feeding birds. It's also often included in the aerosols toted by joggers for defense against dogs and muggers. New York City transit officials reportedly once dusted hot pepper on subway token slots to prevent "unprincipled teenagers" from sucking tokens out of the turnstiles -- ouch!

Nutritious and Tasty
Peppers are healthful to eat, easy to grow and so versatile they can be used in the kitchen as a vegetable as well as an herb or spice. They can be grown in pots on a balcony or patio and look great in a flower bed or herb garden. Pepper are high in vitamins C, A, E, B1, B2, and B3. They can contain as much as 6 times the vitamin C of oranges. When allowed to turn red, the carotene (a precursor to vitamin A) content goes up dramatically.

If you've got a sunny place in the garden or even an apartment balcony, give peppers a try. Spring is a great time to set out plants. Even if you aren't into pepper cuisine, these ornamental plants deserve a place in every ornamental garden.