I remember back to a time in Scooty's kitchen with most of us standing around and someone was eating some left over Thai food. Cashew Chicken if I remember correctly. One of my favorite dishes from that particular restaurant, and this particular dish had hot Thai peppers in it to add flavor.
Like most high school boys there was usually (if not always) an element of competitiveness and stupidity. On this night, I challenged the eater (I believe it was Scooty's meal) to eat one of the peppers. The challenge was reversed, and I accepted. The only other thing I can remember is that I spent the next 10 minutes with my mouth under the sink.
What is odd about this is that, I have grown to really enjoy spicy foods. Actually I have always liked spicy foods, but I just like getting it hotter and hotter as time passes. So about four months ago I decided to combing a couple of my interests. I planted some Habanero plants in my garden. (You should see some of the stuff I have gotten from this garden. Check out one of my tomatoes.)
Because Habaneros are a long maturing plant, they are just now coming into maturity. I have had a couple so far, and I must say that they are hot. I have had them before, but when you grow your own it is like eating food you cooked in the wilderness (no matter what it tastes like it is the best thing on earth at that moment). I mean these babies are hot. Having heard about Habaneros being the hottest I decided to do a little looking on the net to verify if this was true or not.
Heat is produced from capsaicin (an oil which is why water is the enemy) and peppers are typically measured by Scoville units that range anywhere from 0 to over 10 million. Over a ten million and you are probably talking about pure capsaicinoids. Jalepenos are around 10,000 Scoville units, while Habaneros are range from 100,000 to 325,000 units.
Now that is hot, but is it the hottest. The answer is no. There are a couple of peppers that I hope to never put near my mouth or body for that matter. The Naga Jolokia and Dorset Naga compare to a Habanero like a Habanero compares to a Jalepeno. That is freakin' insanity.
Finally, why would anyone ever like spicy stuff anyway. Well, when you eat spicy food your body feels the pain. Your brain then decides that endorphins need to be released to help deal with the pain, and you end up experiencing a natural high. So the next time you have something spicy in front of you, enjoy. Let it burn and feel the natural high usher its way into your body, and then go have some Cocaine ... the drink that is.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Now That is What I Call Dragon Breath!
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5 comments:
My dad eats hot peppers like they were Tootsie Rolls. Are you saying he's been getting high all this time? And all this time I didn't think he had any vices.
Yeah, I don't know why more people aren't aware that the spice from peppers comes from the oil, and insist on drinking gallons of water until their hyponatremic. I usually find the greasiest food I can grab when I inadvertently bite straight into a pepper, and will often do the trick.
Nice looking tomatoes. You'll be staving away prostate cancer for years with those babies.
Yep, it was Cashew Chicken from The King And I, my favorite.
I followed Willie's link and read this:
A typical label enclosed with an order of Dave's Insanity Sauce from MoHotta-MoBetta reads: WARNING: You must exercise extreme caution when using this sauce. If you touch the sauce, be particularly careful not to touch your face, eyes or other sensitive parts of your body. If you do touch the sauce, we recommend that you wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. Ignore this warning and you will pay.
I wonder what it would take to convince someone to dip their sack in it?
The King and I, or My Thai? There's a HUGE difference, my friend. Almost as big as differentiating Thailand from Taiwan. ;-)
As far as teabagging your jewels in the hot sauce, if Willie is right about this whole pain-endorphin thing, that must be some wild climax you'd get. Please tell me Wankmaster Scratch has not tried this in his younger days.
Nah, he did it last week.
And I never said I'd dip my nuggets in it. I said dupe someone else into doing it.
And I thought that My Thai used to be The King And I. It was near the Albertsons just south of I-40 on Bell.
Oh, THAT King and I. That was right by my dad's office. I always preferred My Thai better, the one close to the Medical Park.
I don't know about you guys, but I'm surprised at how much I miss the Thai food back where we grew up. I've been to multiple places here in St. Louis, and in other large cities, but nothing seems to satisfy like My Thai. Hey, I'm a poet and don't know it! I think I've invented their new radio jingle. Crazy that some place in the middle of nothing would be my benchmark for Thai food.
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