Sometimes, I like to try and dive into the science of chiles... most times, I just like to accept it all as just some kind of "magic..." Folks all over the world have been eating these things for centuries, and despite all the trends towards globalization, not the least important of which is the internet, there's still plenty of stuff we simply do not know about peppers-- and we likely never will. So, while I accept that there certainly is science behind all these mysteries, I also accept the notion that i'll never solve these mysteries, never know the science or even the history, in many cases. So, I just look at it as some sort of awesome voodoo mojo, beyond my comprehension, and move on. But, that's just my take on it.
Now, having said all that, I just want to address the concept that some of these relatively late newcomer chiles aren't fairly called "discovered," b/c ppl in Trinidad/Tobago and in Nagaland and whatnot, they'd been cultivating Scorpions, 7pots, Nagas, and Bhuts for generations. i'm not trying to come at anybody hard; i saw that y'all used quotes; i know what that means, and it's clear that y'all know what it means, too. But, the casual reader may not. By "discovered," we pretty much just mean that the "developed"/"first" world encountered them for the first time. Rich folks in the US and Europe didn't "discover" these varieties, anymore than Columbus "discovered" 2 continents that had already been populated since long before recorded history. These peppers were existing varieties that had previously been unknown to the folks who rate and rank peppers by SHUs--that's it. And, like i said, i realize y'all know that-- nuff respect to everyone who has contributed to this thread-- but i just want to clarify for those who read this later, and may not understand. (Cheesy PC rant is over now... thanks & sorry, etc)
Finally, i just want to ramble on about how crazy it is that, seemingly, Capsicum species developed capsaicin to ward off critters that might consume their pods, in an effort to ensure seeds and, ultimately, their species, survived.... But, it is precisely that alkaloid, capsaicin, that has fascinated some humans for so long, to the point where we've propagated the species, spread them all around the Earth, cultivated varieties with even more heat, and basically took this thing that was supposed to be a deterrent and turned it into the feature that has made Cqpsicum some of the most popular fruit-bearing plants on the planet. Capsaicin, apparently, didn't work in the way nature seemingly intended it to, but in the end, it worked even better. At least, in terms of propagating the species and large-scale/long-term survival.
