Why are chillies so darn hot? Chilli has that characteristic hot and stimulating kick as it contains capsaicin, an alkaloid substance which makes chilli hot to taste. Capsaicin is present in the tiny chilli seeds and membranes, so be sure to avoid these if you want a milder heat.

Which chilli variety is the hottest? Popular belief is that the red savina habanero is the hottest chilli in the world, however this is not true. In fact, it doesn't come close to the “Naga Jolokia” chilli which originates from Assum in India and reads 855,000 in the scoville scale - over 400,000 higher than the habanero chilli.
  
What is the scoville scale? In 1912 a chemist called Wilbur L. Scoville devised a dilution method to calculate how hot chillies were. He added equal parts of sugar water to the capsicum oil until the burn could no longer be detected. The higher the value on the scoville scale, the hotter the chilli!

What should I look out for when buying fresh chillies? When buying fresh choose evenly-coloured chillies with taut, vibrant skin. Wear gloves or wash hands thoroughly after chopping and deseeding chillies, as they can irritate your eyes and skin. Remember to remove the seeds if you want less spice.

When preparing chilli, how can you avoid chilli coming back to haunt you later? Wear gloves or wash hands thoroughly after chopping and deseeding chillies, as they can irritate your eyes and skin.
Remember to remove the seeds if you want less spice.
 
How to preserve chillies for longer time? You can dry, freeze, smoke or store them in dry, zip-lock bags to preserve them however do not forget to break the stalks.
 
My throat burns when I fry chilli – can I prevent this? Add a little salt to the frypan to prevent your throat burning.
 
What can I eat or drink if I have burned my mouth from eating too much chilli? Milk, cream, curd, and other dairy products will reduce the burning sensation in your mouth. Drinking water will not help the situation and can often make it worse!

Source:www.chillifarm.com