Cayenne pepper is used in cooking for many centuries. It used to make spicy dishes and meals very flavorful. But it may not be available in many countries. Or you might not have it to use at the moment. Then you can use some substitutes of cayenne pepper, which may solve your problem.
What is Cayenne Pepper?
Cayenne pepper is a type of Capsicum. It is hot chili pepper. Generally, it used to flavor spicy dishes.
The shape of the cayenne pepper is narrow. It is 10-15 cm long and, the tip is curved. Cayenne pepper is mostly red-colored. It is undeniably, very beautiful looking. Cayenne pepper mostly used for cooking very spicy dishes. It can use both whole or grounded.
Cayenne pepper is medium-hot chili. It is 30,000-50.000 Scoville heat units.
Cayenne Pepper Nutrition fact
5 grams of Cayenne pepper contains about:
- Calories: 17
- Fat: 1 gram
- Carbs: 3 grams
- Protein: 0.6 grams
- Vitamin A: 44% of the RDI
- Vitamin E: 8% of the RDI
- Vitamin C: 7% of the RDI
- Vitamin B-6: 6% of the RDI
- Vitamin K: 5% of the RDI
- Manganese: 5% of the RDI
- Potassium: 3% of the RDI
- Riboflavin: 3% of the RDI
Health benefits of Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper may seem like a prevalent type of pepper. But it has some great health benefits. Some health benefits of Cayenne pepper are:
- Boosts your Metabolism
- Reduces your Hunger
- Lowers your Blood Pressure
- Aids your digestive health
- Helps to relieve your pain
- Improves your Psoriasis
- Reduces your Cancer risk
Cayenne Pepper Substitute
Sometimes when you are cooking something, and you do not have the exact ingredient. Then you have to use the substitution for that ingredient. Here we’ll see some substitutes or replacements of cayenne pepper.
- Paprika: Paprika is one of the ordinary and natural substitutes. It is effortless to find. Also, it may be found in your fridge anytime. It is a chili powder made from ground chili peppers. While using paprika, you have to keep it in mind that paprika is milder than cayenne pepper. So you have to double the amount while substituting for cayenne pepper.
- Red Chili flakes: Red chili flakes is also like paprika. Very easy to find and use. It can easily found in most grocery stores. Red chili flakes are red chillis that are dried and later crushed. Because it is not grounded, it has some texture to it. Red chili flakes are not as hot as cayenne pepper. Use slightly more than the amount of paprika.
- Chili Powder: Chili powder is a decent substitute for cayenne pepper. It is effortless to find in grocery stores. It consists of different kinds of chili peppers that have been dried and grounded. Chili powder is very finely grounded. It is as hot as cayenne pepper. So use an equal amount of chili powder as cayenne pepper.
- Gochugaru: Gochugaru is a ground mixture of red pepper flakes found in Korean cooking. It made from sun-dried chili peppers. It has a smokey flavor to it, which is very vibrant and flavorful—one of the best substitutes for cayenne pepper. Use the same amount as cayenne pepper because it is as hot as cayenne pepper.
- Hot Sauce: Hot sauce is also a good substitute for cayenne pepper. Use a few dashes of it in your dish, and you are good to go. The best kind of hot sauce is Tabasco hot sauce. Use half to equal amount of hot sauce as cayenne pepper.
Conclusion
Cayenne pepper is very flavorful. And it is wonderful to look. But you may not find it in your local grocery stores. And, you need it for the particular dish you are making. Don’t be heartbroken. There are lots of substitutes you can use instead of cayenne pepper. You just have to be careful about the amount you use.
And just like that, you have many available substitutes to use.
People also ask questions:
1. What can be used as a substitute for cayenne pepper?
Ans. There are many substitutes for cayenne pepper. Such as paprika, chili powder, hot sauce. Chili flakes, etc.
2. How do you crush cayenne pepper?
Ans. The best way to crush cayenne pepper is to dry the first. And then grind them in your grinder.
3. What’s the difference between cayenne pepper and black pepper?
Ans. First of all, they are both of different colors. Also, they come from different species.
