November 18, 2008
On the chilli trail in Assam, India
Killian Fox in the Times of London:
When you mention Assam, most people think of tea. Those on more familiar terms with the state - on the “Seven Sisters” peninsula that juts out from the northeast corner of India - will think of its beautiful national parks, abundant wildlife and the vast Brahmaputra river.
Assam is a charming place, as serene as it is lush and green, but it also harbours something so fearsome, so fiendishly powerful, that even the elephants flee from it in terror.
There is nothing at all serene about the bhut jolokia, the hottest chilli on earth. It registers an incredible 1,041,427 on the Scoville Heat Unit scale, more than double the score of the previous world record-holder (the red savina habanero).
It is 200 times hotter than Tabasco sauce. And yet, when you bite into a bhut jolokia, there is no pain at first, only a smoky flavour with an intense, apple-like sweetness. Then, after about 20 seconds, all hell breaks loose. I know this because I was foolish enough to try one.
More here.
Posted by Abbas Raza at 05:08 AM | Permalink
Comments
I know of Bhut Jalokia ("I knew president Kennedy, he was a friend of mine;and senator you are no president Kennedy" no,I did not mean that way. But never dared to taste one bite of it. It's distant and much weaker cousin, the Firingy Jalokia is more than enough that I could tolerate without going through the same agony that Killian Fox did. Anyway, Fox, thanks for visiting Asssam. I was borne in a tiny village, not very far from Sualkuchi on the other bank of the river Brahmaputra. I am sure people, there were hospitable to you and treated you well. I visited my village and Guwahati recently in September. I bought some Sualkuchi made silk Mekhela-Sador, the traditional dress for Assamse ladies, for my wife, my daughter and my daughter-in-law. Description of your journey made me nostalgic again. I am here in the USA since 1074 and now am one very happy papa and grandpa.
Posted by: Anil C Thakuria, MD, FACP | Nov 18, 2008 2:53:53 PM
really needs no correction. But here I go "it was not 1074 that when came to the USA when there were no USA. Everything else being reasonable and befitting it was 1974" Everybody happy ?
Posted by: Anil Thakuria, MD, FACP | Nov 20, 2008 9:18:10 PM
really needs no correction. But here I go "it was not 1074 that when came to the USA when there were no USA. Everything else being reasonable and befitting it was 1974" Everybody happy ?
Posted by: Anil Thakuria, MD, FACP | Nov 20, 2008 9:18:46 PM
really needs no correction. But here I go "it was not 1074 that when came to the USA when there were no USA. Everything else being reasonable and befitting it was 1974" Everybody happy ?
Posted by: Anil Thakuria, MD, FACP | Nov 20, 2008 9:18:54 PM
Oh, God, I MUST have one. And thank you, Abbas, for displaying the name of the writer whose story you linked to. Dr. Thakuria, could I talk you into being a courier for peppers?
Posted by: Elatia Harris | Nov 20, 2008 10:13:40 PM
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