Knowing about different types of peppers is important. If you don’t know a great deal about the peppers in your kitchen and around the world then you won’t be able to use some of the best ingredients in the world in your cooking.
This would of course be a great shame because there are many peppers that not only help bring a meal to life but are the star of that meal; the stand our ingredient that ensures nobody ever forgets your wonderous dish.
That’s why if you don’t know a great deal about the Mirasol chile pepper then you need to know all about it so you can use it in your food.
Luckily, you’re reading such a piece which will tell you not only all you need to know about the Mirasol pepper but also how to use it in your food.
What Is A Mirasol Pepper?
Let’s begin by explaining exactly what a Mirasol pepper is. The Mirasol pepper originates in Mexico and is a member of the Capsicum Annuum family of peppers.
Known for the way that it naturally grows upwards and towards the light – hence the origin of its name which literally means “looking at the sun” – the Mirasol is a stable of most Peruvian and Central American kitchens because of its intense flavor and the way in which it can be easily integrated into your cooking.
The pepper plant grows between 18 and 23 inches and produces fruit in a seventy to eighty day period in the middle of the growing season.
This of course means that you have a limited amount of time to pick the Mirasol pepper if you intend to use it fresh; however, if you grow your own Mirasol pepper this isn’t such a problem.
The Mirasol, in terms of heat, ranks at around between 2,000 and 5,000 SHUs which stands for Scoville Heat Units, the official way to measure how hot a pepper is. Despite its relatively low ranking on the pepper heat rankings, the Mirasol is very popular.
In fact, despite a common misconception that the only thing of interest related to peppers is how hot they can get, the lack of an intense heat in fact works in the Mirasol pepper’s favor.
This is because rather than simply burning your mouth when you eat it as part of a meal it adds a bit of heat but not so much that it is overpowering of other ingredients.
One of the problems that many chefs find with peppers that ranks higher on the Scoville Heat Unit is that their heat and intensity blocks out any other parts of the meal, meaning that their carefully prepared cuisine doesn’t taste as delectable as it should. No such problem exists with the Mirasol pepper.
Indeed, the wonderfully spicy and yet fruity flavor of this particular pepper ensures its popularity in kitchens all across South America.
The flavor is like that of a berry that has had some spicy sauce added to it – not necessarily the most appetising description in abstract but one that certainly is when tasted in a fine meal.
Now that we’ve outlined exactly what the Mirasol pepper is, let’s discuss how it can be used to add to a fantastic meal.
How To Use The Mirasol Pepper In Cooking
The Mirasol Pepper, because of its especially fruity flavor is best used in dishes which need a extra bit of a fruity spice to them – for example they go particularly well with pork especially when the pork has not been overdone; many people like to eat pork with a cranberry sauce or something similar to give it an added taste and a sauce derived from the Mirasol would have a similar effect though of course it wouldn’t be exactly the same as the Mirasol sauce would be spicier.
Similarly, this pepper can be easily and effectively used with chicken and fish. It is best to use the pepper with meat, white meat or fish because the texture of the pepper naturally responds best to these particular types of main food stuff.
Why You Should Use The Mirasol Pepper
The Mirasol pepper is one of the best peppers around. Its wonderfully fruity taste combined with a stunningly warm and yet not overheated after taste make it truly one of the go to peppers that you can use.
There is often a fear of using peppers in cooking and you should certainly not be someone who shrinks back from using a pepper because of a fear of the heat.
If you try to use one pepper, make sure that it is the Mirasol pepper. It is fun, light and a perfect addition to any meal.
