Hot pepper leaves instead of grape leaves

Summary for those who don't want to read this whole article: Super-hot pepper leaves taste good and have caused no ill effects for me.

All the details 

I reported in August last year that I invented a new taste treat: microwaved egg with grape leaves and chili crisp. I am happy to report that I'm still very fond of this treat and it is a daily part of my breakfast. However, once winter started, I lost my source of grape leaves. I only got by for a few weeks with frozen grape leaves. (We have a limited freezer space.) Until a few weeks ago, I was getting by with either spinach or slices of roasted eggplant. Both of which taste fine, but have to be purchased with actual money. 

So I'm very happy that the grape vines are once again bountifully providing new leaves.

Still, I couldn't help noticing that the pepper plants have nice, broad leaves that look very edible.

One thing about having a reputation for liking hot spice is that people tend to give you hot spicy things.

The most remarkable of kindly given hot spicy things I've received have been the potted pepper plants that our across-the-street neighbour has taken to giving me.

This year, he has given me a scorpion pepper, a ghost pepper and a Carolina reaper. Last year, it was a scorpion, a ghost and a habanero. (This goes beyond me living a charmed life, I don't even have to look after the plants. The lovely Manon does everything for them like making sure they get enough water. Even though she doesn't even eat mild peppers like cayennes.)

The plants from my neighbour are all varieties of Capsicum chinense and they are ridiculously hot. Even for me. When the peppers are ripe, I make a sambal oelek that I put in little jars. I put about a third of a teaspoon of the sambal oelek every day on my lunch burrito. The burning sensation in my mouth afterwards is not at all pleasant, so I am careful to have a few things to eat afterwards to remove the hot stuff.

Olin Wade who wrote: Can you eat pepper leaves Raw? says:

The most poisonous pepper is the Carolina Reaper, and due to its extreme heat, it is advised not to consume this pepper in any form.

Other peppers that can be poisonous when consumed in large enough quantities include the Habanero, Bengal, Ghost, and Naga peppers. All of these peppers have a heat rating of over 500,000 Scoville Heat Units, and should be consumed by only those who are well-versed in very hot peppers.

Consuming any pepper in large quantities can cause intense side effects, such as stomach discomfort, heartburn, and even dehydration. Consuming peppers that are too hot can cause further complications, including inflammation of the esophagus and an intense burning sensation in the mouth.

It is best to always err on the side of caution when consuming peppers, and to never consume it in large enough quantities to cause any potential harm. 

I don't think I've ever experienced stomach discomfort, heartburn or dehydration from these peppers but I can corroborate that an "intense burning sensation in the mouth" is a distinct possibility.

Why do I eat this stuff? I think it's good for me and good for my mental health. And I like my food better when it's got some hot spice.

Back to the leaves...

The internet was not super-helpful on the question of whether I could safely eat these leaves.

I found articles about the Capsicum chinense peppers, but none addressed whether their leaves are edible or dangerous. 

I did find articles that say various other pepper varieties have edible leaves, like Capsicum annuum [Source: Can You Eat Pepper Leaves?] or the generic "chili pepper" [Source: Chili Pepper Leaves Edible – A Delicious & Nutritious Garden Secret]. 

Olin Wade says: "Jalapeno leaves themselves are not poisonous, but they can contain compounds that might be dangerous if the leaves are ingested in large amounts. The leaves may contain the compound capsaicin, which is responsible for the heat and spicy sensation of jalapenos."

This makes no sense to me. Every other site says that pepper leaves do not contain capsaicin. And I would say that jalapenos are particularly mild. Milder than cayennes. Julie Howell who wrote Can You Eat Pepper Leaves? specifically says that jalapeno leaves are safe.

My conclusion on toxicity: The Capsicum chinense  leaves should be safe. It might be worth being a little cautious by steaming them before microwaving, not eating them every day, and avoiding a "large amount" by only having two to four leaves with my breakfast.  

For preparation, some sites say they must be cooked, others say they can be eaten raw. 

My conclusion on raw versus cooked: I am confident that either way is safe and is a matter of personal or cultural preference.

I'm going with steamed and then microwaved because it suits me. 

Fieldwork

I removed two nice big leaves from the bottom of the scorpion pepper plant with bare hands. I had no burning sensation afterwards on my fingertips even after tearing off a little piece that was less than a square inch in size. 

I chewed the little piece. It tasted okay, not particularly flavourful, sort of what you might expect a raw leaf to taste like.

I steamed the two leaves with a bunch of grape leaves in the Instant Pot one a one-minute steam with "Keep Warm" turned off. Refrigerated them over night and ate them with my breakfast the next morning.

The pepper leaves tasted fine. My breakfast was delicious as always and I have had no problems of any kind.

I decided that with the thousands and thousands of grape leaves currently outside, it didn't make sense to harvest any more of the pepper leaves before the peppers are harvested. 

But guess what? The lovely Manon did some research of her own and determined that some of the lower leaves should be removed to promote growth of the peppers. She picked a bunch of leaves that I've now been eating for several days. Manon reported that she had a bit of a burning or tingling feeling where she had touched the leaves. It could be that I didn't get this because I only picked two leaves and she picked about ten. Or, I have a tolerance where she has a sensitivity. Or maybe she was doing something else in her garden where she should have been wearing gloves. 

With the new leaves, my breakfasts continue to be delicious and I have suffered no ill effects.

Possible follow-up 

If I get really ambitious, I might try making hot pepper leaf dolmades.

I will not be steaming jasmine leaves. The lovely Manon was visibly displeased when I mentioned that her jasmine plant had the broad sort of leaves that I was looking for. But then she was visibly relieved when I reported that in Jasmine Flower Edible: Which Species Are Safe to Eat? we learn that while some jasmine plants have edible flowers, their leaves should not be eaten:  

Are jasmine leaves or stems edible?

No. Leaves and stems of edible jasmine species contain higher concentrations of iridoid glycosides (e.g., aucubin) with potential laxative or hepatotoxic effects at high doses. Only use fully opened, white flowers—never green parts.

I will report any further follow-up on the pepper leaves. 

And apparently, there are some maple tree leaves that can be eaten. I'm not sure that we have any of the right species nearby. In the '90s, I had a Norway maple, but it had to be cut down before it destroyed the house.