Cayenne
Pure ground cayenne, hot enough to matter. One pinch wakes up a whole pot of soup.
What It Is
Cayenne is dried red chile pepper ground to a fine, fiery powder. It comes from the same species as bell peppers and paprika, but the heat here is the point. Most ground cayenne lands between 30,000 and 50,000 Scoville units, which is genuinely hot but not punishing if you measure it.
It has been used as a seasoning across Latin American, South Asian, and Southern cooking for centuries. Unlike smoked paprika or crushed chiles, cayenne is a pure heat delivery system with very little else going on flavor-wise, which makes it easy to use anywhere you want fire without changing much else.
What To Do
Start with a quarter teaspoon in dishes for four people and taste as you go. It belongs in chili, dry rubs, marinades, roasted vegetables, deviled eggs, and anywhere a recipe says "a pinch of red pepper." Stir it into softened butter with garlic and herbs for a quick compound butter on cornbread or grilled chicken.
Cayenne blooms in heat, so adding it early in a cook deepens it; adding it at the end keeps the burn brighter and sharper. Store in a cool, dark spot in a sealed container and use it within a year for the best heat.
