The Heat Is On

• Before cutting up some habaneros and putting them on your nachos, it's important to know how hot they are. Nachos are commonly served with jalapeno peppers, which have a good dose of spicy heat, but aren't nearly as hot as habaneros. The Scoville scale measures the heat units of different peppers based on the amount of capsaicin they contain. Capsaicin is what gives a pepper its heat. The Scoville heat units in a jalapeno range between 2,500 and 8,000. That's plenty spicy for some, but a habanero ranks among the spiciest on the scale, between 100,000 and 350,000 heat units. Some variations of the habanero rank even higher. This amount of heat can be intolerable to many, so go easy in any recipe you use until you know your tolerance.

Mixing It In

• Instead of slicing up habeneros and placing them on nachos like jalapenos, consider mixing them in with something else, like salsa or cheese sauce. This way, you still get the dynamic, citrusy flavor of the pepper without as much heat in one bite. Granted, it will still be plenty spicy. When adding habanero to salsa or sauce, mince the pepper instead of adding slices or chunks. That way, the heat is distributed more evenly, rather being contained in one intense bite. Also, to reduce the heat, remove the seeds and the inner membranes of the pepper where the seeds are attached, as this is where the capsaicin is most prominent. Fruit-based salsa works well with habanero peppers. Never touch your face or rub your eyes when cutting up any hot pepper, and always wash your hands with soap and warm water thoroughly afterward.

Nacho Roulette

• If you'll be serving nachos at a party, play nacho roulette. This party game has participants sampling from nacho dishes made with peppers of varying hotness. Jalapeno could be the lowest heat level, habanero the highest, with a couple of other mid-level Scoville peppers in between, such as the serrano or the Thai chili pepper. See if guests can determine what kind of pepper is used in each serving and who can stand the heat. It's a good idea to let those playing know that if they think jalapenos are too hot, they probably shouldn't participate.

Dousing the Flames

• When your mouth is on fire after eating even a tiny amount of a habenero pepper, you may be tempted to reach for a glass of water or chug a beer, but this could be making the situation worse. All water does is spread the capsaicin oil around in your mouth, and beer doesn't contain enough alcohol to diminish the heat unit level. Best to reach for a glass of milk or eat a spoonful of sour cream. Dairy products contain casein, a compound that has been proven to neutralize the effects of caspaicin. So, when making nachos with habaneros, you might consider topping the heap with a few dollops of sour cream.