[CH] FW: Your Firey Foods Article

Michael Bowers (bowers@elsie.ucdavis.edu)
Thu, 02 Mar 2000 10:44:21 PST 

From: "Kathleen Stebbins" <kstebbin@rgj.com>
To: <Chilehead@tough-love.com>
Cc: <Chile-heads@globalgarden.com>, <ksmith@rgj.com>
Subject: FW: Your Firey Foods Article
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2000 09:28:14 -0800

That should be "grammar," of course!  :)

-----Original Message-----
From: Kathleen Stebbins [mailto:kstebbin@rgj.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2000 8:52 AM
To: 'Chilehead@tough-love.com'
Cc: 'Chile-heads@globalgarden.com'; 'ksmith@rgj.com'
Subject: RE: Your Firey Foods Article


Dear Dave,

Thank you for taking the time to write.  I had indeed spelled the word
"chile" in my original version of the article.  Both my editor and the
"Associated Press Stylebook," which we consult on matters of spelling and
grammer, preferred the "i" ending.  There was also a paragraph in my
original version which addressed the matter of spelling and noted that (in
addition to the alternative "e" ending) Asian cultures often prefer the
spelling "chilli" or even "chillie."  That paragraph, unfortunately, was cut
due to space limitations.

Regarding the location of capsaicin in the pepper: numerous sources cited
the ribs and seeds.  For example, "The Great Chile Book" by Mark Miller and
John Harrisson, states,"...the smaller the chile, the hotter it is; this is
because smaller chiles have a larger amount of seed and vein (or internal
rib) relative to larger chiles, and these are the parts that contain up to
80 percent of the capsaicin in a chile."

As for the assertation that pure capsaicin can kill you, I initially got
that information from Dave DeWitt (with whom I'm sure you're familiar) and
we had an extended discussion about it. I subsequently ran across similar
statements in other sources.  In retrospect I probably should have
attributed it to Dave in a direct quote but it seemed to me to be an
accepted fact.

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the article. However, your letter highlights the
fact that "chileheads" are indeed a passionate bunch when it comes to their
favorite food.

Best wishes, Kathleen Stebbins