What is a hot red chili?
I have quite a few recipes that call for a "red chili" or a "hot red chili". Exactly what type of chili are they asking for? I've never heard of a chili pepper called simply "red" or "hot red".
Most chilis will go to red if allowed to ripen, so I think this could mean a red jalapeno or even Serrano, but I suspect that the author means to find any hot red chili at the store. It seems to me (just based on a LOT of shopping) that the long skinny varieties tend to be hotter than the shorter fatter guys. My store fortunately provides a Scoville chart so I can make an informed decision - my go-to is usually the Fresno.
Your answer is close to perfect except for one thing - size doesn't necessarily have anything to do with spiciness (after all, what's bigger yet milder than a bell pepper, or even a mild Italian frying pepper?). There are many teeny tiny peppers that are TRULY hot enough to be painful. For first-time pepper users, something along the lines of a cayenne or the peppers you mentioned are a good bet though, and it always pays to keep in mind that it's much easier to add more peppers later than to un-spice a dish once they're in there. You can also adjust the spice by serving regular ground black pepper at the table; the combination of ground pepper and fresh chilies is a classic in Szechuan cuisine in particular because while they both produce the sensation of spiciness, the affect different areas of the tongue and complement each other.
Orrrr...could they be referring to The Red Hot Chili Peppers the rock group? ;0)
Meaghan, I think Abbie is saying the same thing you are. Skinny, small.peppers seem to be hotter than their chubby cousins. I also find that to be true. To me, most jalapenos are too mild. I go for the skinny serranos or the teeny thai peppers.
