| Author | Message | ||
     Torquehd |
About a year ago I started liking spicy food. I've been turning up the heat all the while, and last night I found myself eating pizza dripping with Tabasco. Delicious but only "warm". Capsaicin connoisseurs, what's next? | ||
| 86129squids |
Torque, I'm yer huckleberry... My GF is Dominican, so we are serious about hot stuff- sauce, salsa, chow chow, you name it. When the garden is going, we make our own. Her daughter sent us a chili kit from "Ass Kicking", you might have seen their stuff... we only used about half of the spice packet, and it lit us up! Still tasty, but I was good and sweaty. I feel the same way about Tabasco, the regular stuff has good flavor but not enough heat- go looking for their Habanero version! It has their signature flavor, but also plenty of heat. The original Sriracha is our go-to, can't beat the flavor of that stuff. In general, I have gotten into the habit of reading the ingredient list on any given bottle to find clues as to taste... I steer away from anything that lists "capsaicin extract". Any good sauce with flavor AND heat won't need the extract, many times a sauce is ruined when they use too much of it. Look for stuff that lists interesting fruits and such, always look at the label. We've got what's called "Pepper Palace", locations in Gatlinburg, and around Knoxville- their employees are very proactive to give samples of about anything. My GF, sis and I were browsing, sampling and such- I was really trying to find things I'd not seen/tried before. They have sauces, salsas, dry spices, everything... well, one girl said "wanna try our hottest, the hottest allowed by the FDA? If you do, we'll post your picture on our 'Wall Of Flame'"... well, of course my GF and I tried it. She went first, took a little bit on a chip, then 3 seconds later I took a chip with a good dunk... before she could warn me. I got the hiccups, it was SO hot, ruined the flavor and any chances of me tasting anything else there or anywhere else that whole afternoon. Felt like battery acid on my stomach. I wanted to tall the girls later that they had blown any chance of me buying stuff at that point, they should advise folks to be DONE browsing before that. Otherwise, they've got it ALL... http://www.pepperpalace.com/ "Melinda's" is a good line of sauces... right now our favorite BBQ sauce is from Martin's BBQ Joint in Nashville TN, called "Devil's Nectar". Highly recommended, GREAT flavor, a little sweet, but IMMEDIATE and STRONG heat. SO dang good... http://www.martinsbbqjoint.com/ I'll be mail-ordering that stuff from now on if I can't make it back to Nashvegas- definitely sending some to the GF's daughter for "revenge"...  For their price, a jar of that stuff is a really good deal. And, FWIW, I picked up a bottle of "Deer In the Headlights" sauce from that little store/gas station in Suches GA, across the street from TWoS, last time I was there, really tasty AND hot. Oh and BTW, we grow our own Scorpion peppers, if that tells ya anything...  | ||
| Aesquire |
http://grrlpowercomic.com/archives/185 and the next page. First. Check the medical websites so beloved of hypochondriacs to see if sudden love of heat is a sign of some scary disease. New girlfriend or brain tumor? Second, try chipolte Tabasco. It's no hotter but better flavor. Third, Penzeys Indian hot pepper flakes look just like the kind you sprinkle on pizza...... but it's Not. Myself, I've wimpified with age and order medium Buffalo style wings now and demand flavor instead of pure heat. There's a lot of pain in a bottle out there and some is delicious. ..... some just abuse. Try a bunch of them. | ||
| Aesquire |
http://grrlpowercomic.com/archives/696 And the next page...... | ||
| Ratbuell |
Texas Pete, baby!! | ||
| Ourdee |
 Sweet heat.  Not too hot. But its stings a little. There was a little restaurant near the two thousand block of North Shadeland Ave. in Indianapolis 30 years ago. I had pepper steak there. easy warmth in the meat that slowly built. About 10 to 15 minutes into the meal I was dripping sweat. It did taste good. | ||
| 86129squids |
Just remembered I'd bookmarked this: http://www.scottrobertsweb.com/scoville-scale/ Read down the list, lots of funnin. There are several products that are hotter than military tear gas! Also, if you're smart, keep dairy handy. Milk, sour cream, best yet some vanilla frozen yogurt, if something goes too far. First time we got a Scorpion fruit, we were sitting on my back deck with my GF's BF, who had brought it. I went inside and capped the pepper, put it on a small plate, went back outside. I sat back down at the table, about 10 feet away from our friend she was downwind of me. She started coughing, gagging, and such, FROM THE FUMES IN THE AIR. That's HOTTT++++. Later, after a few beers, I nibbled on the edge of the cut pepper, like you would a fingernail. The Scorpion had a GREAT flavor, unlike any other pepper I've tried, distinctive... then, it was like someone flambe'ed my face, acetylene torch, what have you. NOT for the beginner by any stretch, these things are DANGEROUS. We grew our plant from seed out of that fruit. A friend of ours came over once, had some of our homemade hot salsa- he's a guy who can take it. He got to feeling REAL bad after a few bites- I think he may have aspirated some of it. So, BE CAREFUL... | ||
| 86129squids |
Still wanting to make it to Nashville's Hot Chicken Festival... http://hot-chicken.com/festival#.Vq0VQa8o7IU https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_chicken | ||
| Ourdee |
Patrick, Should, and it will sooner or later, the eyeball thing happen: Very wet paper towel, hold it on the closed eye and don't rub. Replace with fresh soaking wet paper towel every minute or two till pain is down enough to look around. Still do not rub and if pain comes back return to fresh wet paper towels. You may actually need a medic. My wife thought she would do me a favor while I was at work and went out to my garden to harvest a few peppers for my chili she was cooking. She rubbed her eye and wound up in the hospital. It actually changed her prescription for her glasses. | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
I was really into spicy hot foods and kept pushing the envelope. I had a friend who's brother in law made really good burrito's and one day he made one for me with 13 habanera peppers on it. I can no longer eat anything spicy and my gut hasn't been right since.....be careful. | ||
| 86129squids |
  Whatever you do, WASH YOUR HANDS, SOAPY WATER, TWICE if you cut/handle peppers, WEAR GLOVES! If you put any in a food processor/chopper, the oils may take a LONG time to go away. Take EVERY precaution. And remember, the best stuff WILL burn you TWICE. Won't need coffee to wake up the next day.  | ||
| 86129squids |
And, ummm, ANY sensitive body part will be affected by capsaicin. Knew a chef who went out to have Mexican with his wife, Habaneros were involved- when they got home they got "frisky"... she ended up with some hot tuna. Nuff said... | ||
| Aesquire |
Good advice. "If discomfort persists, see your physician" is the mantra I use doing first aid. (SCA events for 20+ years ) One morning while camping the new parents next to us brought over their toddler. He had got into the latched box for cooking & med stuff and eaten a tube of "Icy-hot" rub. I called poison control, washed hands and face and gave him a creamsicle. Other than trying to rub his tongue, this pre-verbal kid really didn't appear to be in distress. The dairy cooled him off as expected and the only hard part was keeping him from touching near his eyes until the second wash....... with creamsicle smeared liberally over hands and face. ( then soap & water ) I bet his mom he'd eat habanero peppers straight when he grew up. He does. Capsaicin is not water soluble. It's fat soluble. Milk, ice cream, or in an emergency, vegetable oil is how to remove or calm the fire. Vegetable oil may induce vomiting. ...... you do NOT want vomiting. That puts the heat on mucus membranes like in the nose and can be very very take them to the hospital NOW bad. Permanent damage can result. Don't induce vomiting. Dire warnings aside.  Scorpion fruit? Yum. | ||
| Aesquire |
One "America's Test Kitchen" tv show they made pepper powder in a blender. Warned folk not to open the lid for several minutes or you'd Mace the whole room. I assume they spoke from experience. Cooking oil is the best way to clean blender or food processor after chopping peppers. Pour in some & run it before cleaning with soap & water. Disposable gloves. Screw macho. Use them. Chop peppers then a quick wash then a rest room break. Not a desirable combination. Seriously. | ||
| Ourdee |
The more heat you can handle over time, the more you will experience the flavors of what will become milder peppers. Another story: Years ago when the youngest was under two years old. He and I invited our pastor to lunch at Chichis. Appetizer, chips with three different salsas. The baby is going to town on the Diablo sauce and chips when the pastor decides to try what the baby is eating. Lit him up so bad, he preached on that baby the next Sunday.  | ||
| Hootowl |
http://hotlinepepperproducts.com This is my go-to pepper sauce. It's not a liquid. Also made just down the road from me, in Spring Texas. I'm also quite a big fan of Mike Anthony's hot sauce, Mad Anthony. Get the xxxtra hot. These aren't like the liquid pepper sauces that are some variety of pepper and a bunch of capsaicin. These you can actually use, and taste. | ||
| Sifo |
Some years ago I was at a friends home for a football game. He wife, who happens to be Mexican, was good enough to make some great snacks. At half time she brought out some chips and dip that were absolutely addictive. They also had an incredible after burn when you stopped eating them. Needless to say, they didn't last long and we realized that our mouths were on fire. Beer doesn't help. Well Maria was right on que with the next dish that perfectly quenched the heat. Great knowledge and perfect execution! | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
If you like Indian food, try finding a place that will cater to your requested level of spiciness (a lot of places I've been to will let you dial up the heat.) Two dishes stand out in my mind: Vindaloo (vinegar and tomato based), and Phaal or Phall (which is probably the hottest curry there is). | ||
| Thumper74 |
Ya'll are nuts. I like spicy if it adds to the flavor. Spicy for the sake of spicy is dumb. Also, Squids, bring some stuff for my GF when you pick up the bike. She thinks she's a hard ass when it comes to spicy... (Message edited by Thumper74 on January 30, 2016) | ||
| Rick_a |
I like to use a sprinkling of crushed red peppers and/or jalapeņos. One of the wife's acquaintances gave us a jar of various exotic peppers he grows in a pickled jar. I can't identify most of it but it is some seriously hot stuff.  | ||
| Torquehd |
Spicy for the sake of spicy is dumb. I used to share that mentality. When my friends used to talk about eating "hot" food, i'd tell them, "you could just eat glass shards and get the same effect". Then something changed, maybe I should check webMD to see if i'm pregnant or something. But I just started enjoying the heat. Just like working out - a small amount of self-inflicted pain can yield pleasure. } | ||
| Gregtonn |
Torque, Sriracha sauce is my EDHS (Every Day Hot Spice). You can get hot without that nasty vinegar after taste you get with Tabasco. For a totally different hot try wasabi. It will clear your sinuses and is great on roast beef sandwiches. For the record, capsaicin helps to prevent ulcers. G | ||
| Oldog |
All you hot food folks, I remember seeing a segment on Discovery, that said that some times the desire for "hot peppers" is a vitamin deficiency, vit C I think, cant take the heat but like the taste of halopeno(sp?) good luck all | ||
| Xdigitalx |
I have been starting mild, I found a tabasco that I like... it is the chipotle version. I add it to almost every sauce or marinade I use for chicken or beef, it has a nice Smokey flavor. Don't laugh but I get the Blazin Texan burger from Applebees often. I used to be a Fridays Jack Daniels or Chili's Smokehouse but the Blazin Texan craving can not be cured without one. | ||
| Aesquire |
Sriracha is my go to sauce too. Great in eggs. Buffalo style wing sauce is butter, vinegar, and "hot sauce". Usually Frank's or Crystal, which are straight forward and uncomplex. I prefer a chitney sauce, fruit based. Orange, lemon, other fruits and pepper flakes with ground peppers for heat and flavor. Local brands include Smitty's ( a now gone local ex-boxer who's restaurant moved around depending on multiple dramas....... gone but not forgotten and the sauce is still my favorite and still made ) Sal's Sassy sauce, Country Sweet, ( both chicken joint brands still in business ) and other local brands all citrus based. A buddy goes to Mexico yearly on vacation and brings back ghost peppers and other exotics. One day at a party he told me to try his blueberry sauce. I found it alone on a side table with a bowl of tortilla chips. "Omg! It was George Carlin's mythical "blue food"!" A nice chip full gave a sweet explosion of blueberry flavor. Followed seconds later by fire. Serious fire. So another bite. Ah! Cool sweet......... FIRE! Repeated until I found my head in the sink running water over my face and tongue. To no avail. "Really! Try the blue food! Blubber, bubble, gasp, it's awesome!" Drowning noises..... | ||
| Robertl |
Tijuana Flats is a central FL tex mex place. Some of their sauces are available online: http://www.hotshotshotsauce.com/index.php?main_pag e=index&manufacturers_id=42 Each location has a hot sauce bar where you can sample all of the sauces. | ||
| 86129squids |
"One "America's Test Kitchen" tv show they made pepper powder in a blender. Warned folk not to open the lid for several minutes or you'd Mace the whole room. I assume they spoke from experience." Years ago, I was working in the prep kitchen with a few other guys, of course there's shenanigans whenever you're in my line of work... my "buddy" walks over to me with a big food processor jug, sez "Hey Brad, take a whiff of this it smells bad to me"... he had JUST ground up an entire fresh horseradish root, maybe two. I couldn't stop sneezing, couldn't see for a few minutes, nose was running like an open fire hydrant... my "buddy" laughing his ass off all the while. Still, the shenanigans are part of what I love about my work. I ordered the 2016 Whole Seed Catalog from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, got it a week or so ago- paid $10, and the dang thing is like a small-town phone book! Serious "plant porn", these folks have literally traveled the globe in search of heirloom, rare, and endangered seeds/plants... they list a gob of peppers, from hot to mild, even some "tamed" Scorpions. HIGHLY recommended book, especially if you or someone you know is into plants/gardening/EATING/decorative and such... http://www.rareseeds.com/ They have a free catalog, not as comprehensive as what I've got, and their website is a joy to behold. Back OT- I've tried most if not all of the Tabasco products, some were real let-downs- I HATED the Buffalo sauce, the green sauce was like Kool-Aid wimpy, Chipotle was, meh. Gimme the Tabasco Habanero, leave the rest on the shelf. Sriracha is our EDHS too, SO tasty, and the story of the guy who founded the company is cool too. Like others said, vinegar sauces are a dime a dozen- the ones that really catch my interest will have some good fruit pulp in them. Thump- rest assured, I'll treat you folks to some REAL homemade heat. Our Scorpion plant is vigorous, throwing fruit constantly, and we've got a surplus of those and other peppers in our freezers. A jar of chow-chow, some loose Scorpions, and whatever else, I'll be sure to bring. Indian, Asian, and Latin American heats are all different, all tasty. Someday I want to try TRUE wasabi instead of the green horseradish paste that everyone calls "wasabi"... apparently the live plant is very fragile, kinda like a water lily, hard to cultivate/harvest/preserve. Read somewhere that someone in WA or OR was working to build a viable true wasabi operation...  | ||
| Pwnzor |
Sriracha is the go-to sauce for me. There are several brands on the market now that are made the same way but with different varieties of peppers. | ||
| 86129squids |
Remembered something important- peppers can and will cross-pollinate! NO WAY will I have my Scorpion near my main garden, it lives in its own container, kept quite a distance from anything else. And, FWIW, I've read that peppers and tomatoes are "buddy" plants in the garden. | ||
| Slaughter |
If you're moving up from Tabasco - then definitely I will add my vote for Sriracha in addition to others. Sriracha, the "Hipster ketchup." Also try Embasa chipotle peppers. TJ's sweet hot peppers. Either are well worth chopping up and adding to foods. I'd start experimenting and just don't go too hot, too fast. There are too many gimmick hot foods out there.   |
