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Post by gyro on May 10, 2009 20:39:59 GMT
There's a guy in my town that grows and cross-breeds (if that's the right term) chillies.
I tried a bit of one last night, and I mean a bit - slightly bigger than a grain of rice - and it blew my head off. I'm sure he called it a Ghost Naga; a crossbreed of dorset naga and something else.
But, [glow=red,2,300]oh my god[/glow], was it hot. About 6 or 7 seconds after eating it, my mouth ballooned with heat, and my tongue was numb for a good 10 mins. I can't quite imagine cooking with one, but I'd like to give it a go.
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2009 21:08:21 GMT
I have come across a few such items in the past. Sometimes you wonder why they exist, unless you were packing for intergalactic travel. After all, you can burn your mouth and intestines by using 4 or 5 'normal' chilis in certain dishes, so it is legitimate to wonder if it is more prestigious to find a single small chili that can do the same job.
But I am one of those people always willing to give it a go as well.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 10, 2009 21:20:52 GMT
I've heard of those, & would love to get some seeds. The nagas are shaped like chiles in the Capsicum chinense family, the one to which the habanero belongs. However, they're mostly C. frustescens with some c. chinense genes.
If you have a chance, smell one of the fresh nagas to see if it has that characteristic fruity smell of the habaneros. Smelling a cut chile is a way to get an idea of how hot it might be, too -- somehow the hot ones just smell hot.
One way to have the best of both worlds when dealing with very hot chiles is to remove the seeds before putting them in a dish, and being careful not to put too much. Then make a salsa or condiment from the same chiles to be served on the side for those wanting more of the heat & flavor.
Kerouac, the chiles are not going to burn your intestines!
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2009 21:37:54 GMT
Then why do they burn on the way out?
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Post by bixaorellana on May 10, 2009 21:53:56 GMT
Poor baby ~~ him's got jaloproctitis! Capsaicin is not changed as it passed through the alimentary canal. It is not known why the fiery elimination affects some people and not others. Are you chewing your food sufficiently? This may be more than you want to know, but it's informative, fun reading.
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Post by gyro on May 11, 2009 4:25:02 GMT
The naga is, I believe a relative of the Scotch Bonnet family. This one was orange. I'm never sure about the whole colour thing; does a yellow or orange chili become red the longer you leave it, or are there some that are just this colour anyway ?
And yes, the whole 'secondary' burning due south is something I can attest to as well. Chewing is not relevant, and the chili would be chopped in things like curry anyway, so you can't chew any more.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 11, 2009 5:29:34 GMT
Scotch bonnet & habanero are very closely related. They are both C. chinense, genes of which are in the naga. Some chiles -- especially in that family -- are orange or yellow when ripe. They won't turn red.
I was kidding about the chewing thing. No one knows why some people are sensitive to the elimination part and others aren't. Lucky me -- they don't come back to bite me in the butt, as it were.
It's intriguing that all this propagation of these chiles is going on in England. I had great success with growing habaneros and datils (another of that family) in Louisiana and Florida, but they are relucant here. Maybe it's the altitude. Does your friend grow his in a heated greenhouse?
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Post by gyro on May 11, 2009 6:03:57 GMT
Not sure. He's a 'bloke down the pub' sort of encounter.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 11, 2009 13:45:43 GMT
Well, cultivate him, so to speak. As much as you like curries, a local source of fresh, interesting chiles would be a good friend to have. And if he offers you seeds, take them! Most peppers are quite happy growing in pots, if you have no garden space.
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Post by gyro on May 12, 2009 8:25:46 GMT
I've still got loads of seeds yet to plant from when we went to Wahaca (or however you spell it).
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Post by Don Cuevas on May 12, 2009 12:34:43 GMT
I don't think that extremely picante chiles are good to eat by themselves. We have been in New Jersey since April 30, and so far have not eaten any chiles, exc ept in the form of Tabasco Sauce. However, tonight we'll be at the Chengdu 1 Chinese Restaurant, whose specialty are spicy Sichuan dishes. Here's an example of a potent snack, taken from the food blog, "Off the Broiler". Chili Pepper Saute with Black Chingkiang VinegarWe will pass this one over tonight.
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