Aromatics · Cf

Chilli flakes

Capsaicin dissolves in fat, not water

Per 100 g

282 kcal Energy

12 g Protein

49.7 g Carbs

14.3 g Fat

27.2 g Fibre

Gluten-free

Let’s cook with it → Invent something with it

What it is for

They give the character. Same technique, same ingredient, a different trio of spices — and the dish moves to another cuisine entirely. Most of their aroma molecules are volatile.

Where it catches you out

Volatile ones go in last, sturdy ones first. Mint and basil after the heat; bay and cinnamon right at the start.

The knack

Capsaicin dissolves in fat, not water: if you want the heat to spread, put it in the oil.

Storage and health

How to keep it, and who it suits.

Keeping it

Airtight in the dark for a year; oilier types such as isot keep longer refrigerated. Loss of colour means it has seen heat and light.

Gluten-free

Plain chilli flakes are nothing but dried peppers.

Glycaemic index

This ingredient carries no meaningful carbohydrate, so it has no glycaemic index. On its own it will not move blood sugar; what you eat alongside it decides that.

What it works with

Pairings, and the reason for each

"They go well together" is not an explanation. Every pairing below has a chemical or structural mechanism under it.

Butter →

Capsaicin is essentially water-insoluble and fat-soluble, so the sizzled-butter method is a solvent extraction that also carries the fat-soluble red capsanthin. Measured optima: 130 °C for carotenoids, 150–170 °C for capsaicinoids. The rule to add chilli off the heat lands exactly in that 130–150 °C window.

Yoghurt →

Casein scavenges capsaicin from the TRPV1 receptor and milk fat dissolves it. Both effects are separately measurable, so yoghurt is a two-mechanism remedy, not a folk one.

Also works with

Olive oil

Tomato paste

Red meat

Bulgur

Lentil

Garlic

What it fights with

Water

Drinking water against chilli burn spreads capsaicin without dissolving it, which is why it feels worse.

What goes on top

Pul biber sizzled in butter is the single most characteristic Turkish topping, alone or with dried mint

Key compounds

Kapsaisin: A TRPV1 agonist: it opens a heat-and-pain ion channel, so the burn is literally a temperature signal. Heat-stable, it survives any cooking.
Kapsantin: The red pigment; fat-soluble and degraded by light.

Nutritionally

Capsaicin produces a small but real increase in thermogenesis and satiety. The effect exists but is far too small to matter for weight control.

Terms on this page

TRPV1: The heat-and-pain receptor on the tongue. Capsaicin opens it, which is why chilli genuinely feels hot.

Where it turns up

What is made with it

4 dishes in the database use it.

Soups 1

Wedding soup

A ceremonial soup cooked in meat broth whose identity is its terbiye: strained yoghurt, egg yolk, flour and lemon juice beaten separately, tempered, and stirred in. Finished with butter and chilli.

İç Anadolu, Marmara

Mains 1

Mantı

Tiny dough parcels are boiled, laid over garlic yoghurt and finished with sizzled butter and chilli. Dried mint and sumac come last.

Kayseri

Preserving & fermentation 1

Antakya sürk

The most heavily spiced member of the çökelek family. The curd is kneaded with pepper paste and a broad spice battery led by wild thyme, then formed into cones and matured.

Hatay

Sauces & finishes 1

Sizzled butter

Butter heated in a small pan until it foams, met with chilli flakes and poured over cold garlic yoghurt. The most characteristic Turkish finish there is: mantı, yayla çorbası, Ali Nazik, çılbır.

Quick ideas