What's the hottest (chilli) food you've ever eaten?

[Chromeman]

Here is a listing of the hottest pepper sauces available in the world.

The hottest one is 16,000,000 on the Scoville Rating or 3200 times hotter than a jalapeño...

[richard]

Green papaya salad is a spicy salad made from shredded unripe papaya. Locally known in Cambodia as bok l'hong (Khmer: បុកល្ហុង), pronounced [ɓok lhoŋ], in Laos as tam som (Lao: ຕໍາສົ້ມ) or the more specific name tam maak hoong (Lao: ຕໍາໝາກຫຸ່ງ), in Thailand as som tam (Thai: ส้มตำ, pronounced [sôm tam]), and in Vietnam as goi du du. Som tam, the Thai variation, was listed at number 46 on World's 50 most delicious foods compiled by CNN Go in 2011.
The ones I have eaten in Hua Hin are very hot

In Thailand, it is customary that a customer ask the preparer to make the dish suited to his or her tastes. To specifically refer to the dish as prepared traditionally in Laos or Issan, it is known as ส้มตำลาว or som tam Lao or simply as tam Lao, and the dish as prepared in central Thailand may be referred to as som tam Thai.

Traditionally the local variety of green papaya salad in the streets of Bangkok is very hot due to the addition of a fistfull of chopped hot Bird's eye chili, however with its rising popularity among tourists, it is often served now not as hot.

I often have it for lunch with fried spicy chicken or Isaan sausage at the vendor that frequents the stretch of road by Romantic bar.

My ideal variation is made with mango rather than papaya with the maximum of 3 rat sh1t chillies and extra tomatoes. All servings are subject to variation and one has to be specific in it's ingredients. The base can be papaya (most popular) mango or banana. Additives can be either fermented crab or dried shrimps. My daughters have perfected the art of doing it so I get it when in the UK although the raw materials are inferior there. Yorkshire heathen that I am I have been noted to eat it with chips and even Yorkshire pudding.

REAL Isaan village/bg song-tam (papaya salad) can play havoc with the bowels and result in 'dire straits' in the nether regions.

Incidentally to countermand the 'heat' eat plenty of cucumber, raw cabbage or rice with it. I prefer my chips and Yorkshire pudding

[HHADFan]

The hottest thing I remember eating was a whole habanero chili. I was young and eating lunch with an illegal Mexican immigrant worker (a 'wetback' in the vernacular of the time).

I ate food that most people would consider 'hot' for most of my life, but it was never about Scovilles or anything. It's addictive because it causes an endorphin release.

It's sad (to me) that not long after I came to live in Thailand, my stomach reached the point that it could not tolerate hot food. The missus orders her somtam with twenty chilis. I order mine with two.

[clinton114]

At "House of Blues" in New Orleans about 15 years ago, the waitress warned me not to sample the pepper atop my jambalaya. Of course, I took it as a dare. The f*&king thing was like battery acid on my tongue, and even though I didn't swallow, it still cauterized my digestive tract. That marked a turning point in my life - from an invincible know-it-all, up for any dare; to an overly-cautious wimp when it comes to spicy foods.

[bsdk1960]

[/quote]Penang is generally not as hot as other curries. Are you perhaps sensitive to peanuts? That could be making it appear hotter than it otherwise would.[/quote]

I love Panang and can eat it any time of the day,and make a decent one myself but I have never got it with peanuts am I
missing something ?

[Chromeman]

Whether to use peanuts or not looks like it is a disagreement on. I guess there are regional differences in the recipe.

I googled for the recipe and looked at the top 6, and of these, only 1 had peanuts in it:

Without peanuts

• http://thaifood.about.com/od/thairecipe ... gcurry.htm
• http://allrecipes.com/recipe/panang-curry-with-chicken/
• http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/panang-chicken-curry
• http://kathdedon.wordpress.com/2013/04/ ... ang-curry/
• http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/P ... cken-Curry

With peanuts

• http://www.realthairecipes.com/recipes/panang-curry/

[Pleng]

Penang is generally not as hot as other curries. Are you perhaps sensitive to peanuts? That could be making it appear hotter than it otherwise would.

I love Panang and can eat it any time of the day,and make a decent one myself but I have never got it with peanuts am I
missing something ?

As far as I'm aware they're ground up to powder and form part of the curry paste but, as Chromeman seems to have discovered, not all recipes seem to use them

[Siani]

At the end of the day....it depends on the chef

[Takiap]

I also enjoy Panang curry and don't consider it a very curry although some cooks do make it very spicy. If not too spicy, it also goes down well with mashed potato rather than with rice.


Richard..........Som Tam Isaan (Lao) is traditionally a lot hotter that regular Som Tam, but they don't use fermented crabs mate - just regular river crabs. They do however used fermented fish which in my opinion should be considered a biological weapon. If you've ever smelt it, you'll know what I mean. I quite enjoy Som Tam, but not if it has rotten fish in it. I also don't eat it if has those little shrimp in it. In fact, even after all these years in Thailand, I'm yet to understand why so many Thais are attracted to bad smelling foods like the dried baby shrimp and fermented fish.

Som Tam Thai (Bangkok style) doesn't have decaying fish or crushed uncooked crab in it, and often has ground peanuts added.

It also amuses me when I order laab and they ask me if I want laab moo or laab gai. With so much chili in, it's not like you can tell the difference anyway. If available, I usually go for the beef version (Isaan style - uncooked) but very few restaurants tend to sell it.

[PeteC]

...... In fact, even after all these years in Thailand, I'm yet to understand why so many Thais are attracted to bad smelling foods like the dried baby shrimp and fermented fish......

You should see the reaction of disgust and horror when I open a can of sardines in olive oil. She and all of her Thai friends who have been present can't stand the smell. Go figure. Pete

[Coldmike]

Panang Curry is sometimes prepared with peanut butter. It'll be a little thick and usually isn't made too spicy, but can be if desired.

My hottest was at a buffalo wing restaurant in the Chicago area. I knew one of the cooks and he gave me a chili concentrate that they used to mix their wing sauce. I don't know what kind of chilis were in it, but licking one drop caused unbearable pain. The concentrate sauce had only heat, no flavor at all. Good Thai prik inus can be super hot, but they still have a great flavor that you can still taste despite the heat.

[Siani]

I came across this while doing my hot chilli research I could not resist posting it, although a little ......
There were lots of other things too!

zdzi041_ring_of_fire_curry_wipes_300firering.jpg (45.21 KiB) Viewed 1064 times

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[richard]

Interesting to read up on Thai food before chillies were introduced in the 1600's. It was still hot and spicy

[Siani]

Interesting to read up on Thai food before chillies were introduced in the 1600's. It was still hot and spicy

Yes Richard it is interesting. This also may come in useful Well sometimes for me anyway I am going to try it, especially after the year I had last year!
"As well as playing an essential role in South Asian food chillies have entered superstitions and rites, particularly in the south of India. The potency of chillies are firmly believed to have a supernatural element. It is customary to hang a few chillies with a lemon over the threshold of a residence to deter evil. Chillies are also used to ward off the evil eye. A handful of chillies together with other condiments such as curry leaves and a little ash from the hearth is waved over a person's head to create a shield against curses and bad spells."
[attachment=0]chilli.png[/attachment]

[migrant]

Thought this was fitting

http://www.thedailymeal.com/britains-sp ... ive/311114