Friday July 25th, 2008
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Red Hot Chili Madness
Posted by Su Avasthi on August 1, 2007 - 7:36am.
Each year, a friend and I go check out an annual chili tasting event in town known as the Fiery Foods show.
Each year, we look forward to it, but I'm not exactly sure why.
We battle the crowds, stand in long lines, and then go through the same ritual: We dare each other to taste the hottest condiment that the salsa-making sadists can cook up.
Before long, our eyes start to water, our faces turn bright red, sweat beads up on our foreheads, and our tongues are screaming for mercy.
So, why do we keep going back for more? I have no idea. All I know is that we're among thousands of fellow chili addicts there who want to see just how much torture our tongues can take.
In fact, the most popular booth asks people to sign a disclaimer before allowing them to taste their goods; they don't want to be held responsible in case their salsa brings on sudden cardiac arrest. (Hardcore chili addicts are simply unable to resist.)
That's why I read about India's "ghost chili" with a good deal of dread. After all, I love hot food as much as the next masochist, but my limit is a small dab of habanero.
Apparently, the mighty habanero is a bland second cousin to the notorious ghost chili or bhut jolokia, which is grown in the northeast Indian state of Assam. The locals there say that it cures stomach ailments. Then again, they also nicknamed it the "ghost chili" because tasting it likely to turn you into a spirit.
The Guinness Book of World Records just listed it as the hottest chili on the planet. And on the Scoville heat scale -- which measures a pepper's spiciness -- it is almost twice as hot as the habanero.
Bhut Jolokia comes in at more than one million Scoville heat units, or nearly twice as hot as the Red Savina habanero, which contains a little more than 500,000 Scoville units. To compare, the average jalapeño is about 10,000 while pepper spray is around two million.
Personally, I'm impressed by the colorful ways that the brave souls who've tried it describe their experience.
One article said it was "akin to swigging a cocktail made of battery acid and glass shards," while another likened it to "gargling acid."
With claims like that, how could a true chili addict say no?
Topics:
- chili
- chili pepper
- chili peppers
- ghost chili
- Guinness Book of World Records
- habanero
- India
- salsa
- Scoville Heat Scale
- spices
- spicy
I absolutely love my spicy food and peppers let me tell you! I have grown up in a Mexican tradition family, and as you know, Mexican’s are very fond of peppers. I remember when I was younger and I would see all the elders in my family eat peppers, like it was nothing, after hand picking them in markets and gardens. I remember they told me they had to wear gloves whenever they went out and picked them, because it would burn their hands. And I suppose over the years their habits slowly turned into mine! I crave things that are spicy all the time. Just like last night I put tons of hot sauce on my mashed potatoes, I know its weird, but I like it! I know the feeling of what you are saying though, just pushing your taste buds to see if they really are going to explode off, because sometimes they really feel like they might!