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HOT sauces are popular all over the world. Many are produced by fermentation, using microorganisms to add depth of flavour and create sauces offering more than just a kick of chilli heat.
The burning sensation comes from capsaicin, a molecule that activates heat receptors. As Clare Wilson explained in her science of gardening column a fortnight ago, Capsicum plants may have evolved the ability to produce capsaicin to deter mammals from eating them, but our species has developed a perverse taste for the pain it brings.
If you are following Clare’s tips for growing chillies at home, you might …
