Christine wrote:

>> Did you at least cut the Scotch Bonnet chile in half, or was it just a
>> pointless addition to be removed later?
>>
>
> What would be pointless about removing it later? It would still give the
> soup a bit of heat..maybe more than a bit of heat, even if it were removed
> later. I don't see it as pointless... I probably would do that
> myself..just to get a bit of heat and some of the flavor..

Chile skins have a natural wax-like coating (called a "cuticle") which
protects them from the elements when they're on the plant. Putting a whole
chile into a soup will do nothing whatsoever for the flavor.

Bob