Capsicum

#### Capsicum. Under the name of **Capsicum**, the fruits of various species of the family Solanaceae (nightshade family) are used extensively as pungent food additives in pickles, spice blends, etc. There are two main sorts of Capsicum of interest to flavorists: - The large pepper from **Capsicum**** ****Annuum**** **or **Capsicum**** ****Longum**, - The small pepper from **Capsicum**** ****Frutescens**** **or **Capsicum**** ****Fastigiatum**. - The large “cayenne” pepper is known in many varieties, some of which are free from pungent constituents and, accordingly, are used unripe in green salads. This type of capsicum fruit is particularly rich in vitamin C. Perfumers will inevitably recall the odor of galbanum or certain lower olefinic aldehydes when they enjoy fresh green peppers in a salad bowl. The more original types are all pungent, i.e. in the ripe and orange-red fruits, we find the seeds located on a central stand inside the inflated, hollow pepper. Only the seedstands which are very juicy, contain pungent materials. The best known of these has been identified as **Decylene** **Vanillylamide**, also known as **Capsaicin**. The content of capsaicin determines the pungency of the pepper. In some of the varieties, capsaicin is also found to a minor extent in the seeds. The dried fruits are known as “Spanish pepper’ or “paprika”. They are cultivated extensively in central and southern Europe. The orange-red powder of the fruits, from which the most pungent parts have been removed, is known as “**Rosenpaprika**” and is a Hungarian specialty. It is used in numerous dishes and recipes as well as in many variations of the so-called “Indian curry powder”. Originally, this called for the *small *capsicum fruits (see below). Since the content of pungent matter is much smaller in the “large” capsicum, than in the “small” varieties, the latter is frequently used for extraction to **Oleoresin Capsicum**, etc. Although capsaicin is a solid material, it is somewhat volatile, and this may explain the fact that other parts of the fruit have a slight pungency when the fruit is mature. However, capsicum fruits yield no essential oil on ordinary steam or water distillation. - The “small” capsicums are derived from: **Capsicum**** ****Frutescens**, e.g. the “African chiles” (originally: chillies), or from **Capsicum**** ****Anuum**, var. conoides, known as “Tabasco pepper” or ‘Tabasco piment”. The latter term has caused some confusion concerning origin, since the Spanish word “pimienta” refers to the pungent taste, and should not refer to the botanical name of the plant (the Mexican **Pimenta Officinalis **has been mentioned as parent of the Tabasco spice, but apparently is merely an allspice variety with little or no pungency). “Tabasco pepper” is also known as “Cayenne pepper”. These “small” capsicums are cultivated extensively in tropical zones all over the world, and have become everyday additive to native food in India, Indonesia, China, Central America, etc. They also enter the spice blends, curry powders, pickles, seasonings and table sauces, partly as comminuted fruits, partly as extracts (usually oleoresins). The “small” capsicums contain up to 20 times as much capsaicin as do the “large” European capsicums. **Capsicum Oleoresin **is a prepared oleoresin, but the term oleoresin is a little out of line of our definitions. The extract consists of resinous matter and a liquid phase which is not volatile with steam. Extraction is usually carried out with ethyl ether, and the evaporation residue will separate into an oily-fatty part and a liquid, rather mobile oleoresin which is collected as the yield. **Capsicum**** ****Oleoresin**** **is a dark red or orange-red to brownish-red liquid, soluble in ethyl ether, hydrocarbon solvents and most vegetable (fixed) oils, but not in alcohol. If the fruits are extracted with alcohol, the oleoresin will be darker, more viscous and contain less pungent matter per weight unit. If the ether-extracted oleoresin is extracted with ethyl alcohol, the oleoresin will yield an **Absolute of Capsicum **which contains the pungent material. The absolute is soluble in alcohol and is easier to use in flavors where hydrocarbon solvents are rarely used or wanted. **Capsicum**** ****Absolute**** **has an interesting tobacco-like, sweet-herbaceous odor which could be utilized in jasmin bases, cassie, mimosa, modern fantasy bases, etc. A pungency- free and non-irritant capsicum absolute should be prepared for use in perfumes which inevitably come in contact with the human skin. **Capsicum**** ****Oleoresin**** **is used in place of the botanical drug with the advantage that the strength can now be standardized since the pungent material is known and synthesized. Also, the fruits are fully utilized: fruits of poor appearance may be used for extraction; fruits of various crops and quality can be extracted together. The taste or mouthfeel—(flavor is out of the question) **—of**** ****Capsicum**** ****Oleoresin**** **is characterized by an extreme pungency: With a dilution of one part of oleoresin capsicum in five million parts of a 9% sugar water at 10° C. (i.e. a concentration of 0.02 mg%), a distinct burning effect in the throat and rear parts of the inside mouth is still produced. The above test is obviously very subjective and strongly dependent upon the eating habits of the taste panel. At such extreme dilutions, it is impossible to distinguish between the pungency of capsicum and that of ginger; this is why capsicum extracts are used to adulterate ginger oleoresins, to make them “stronger” for use in “ginger nuts”, “ginger ale”, etc. A well known test is to heat the extract with a weak sodium hydroxide solution. Only the ginger extract will lose its pungency; capsicum remains unaffected. Besides, the flavor of ginger oleoresin is not present in capsicum extracts, and the ginger flavor would be impaired by any addition of capsicum oleoresin. **Capsicum Oleoresin **and **Capsicum Tincture**, the latter usually produced from European capsicum fruits, are still used in pharmaceutical preparations as rubefacients and skin irritants (stimulants).