This is the culprit. This is the fresh chili pepper I bought the other day, being completely unaware of its potency.
I had the audacity to sample it raw, cut into a piece no larger than a lentil, and it took revenge on me by making my mouth flame.
This hot yellow chili pepper made my lips swell and hurt and sting and become redder than lips that have been passionately kissed for hours.
This is the chili pepper that gave me no pleasure at all.
This chili is the scotch bonnet. We hadn't been properly introduced before yesterday and it will be a while before I invite it back in my kitchen.
Lesson learned.
P.S. That doesn't mean I don't love chilies anymore. Just so you know.
I made the same mistake years ago.. My thai bonnets were red, and looking like the prettiest thing ever. I generally love chilli, even very hot ones, but honestly I did not even like the taste of them, apart from the absurd level of heat.
ReplyDeleteOh, dang!!I did that once swallowing a mouthful of chili rice. Couldn't eat for a full day. Sure is pretty, though.
ReplyDeleteSorry. I hope your lips are doing better. It's funny but not so funny at the same time.
ReplyDeleteThose babies are pure FIRE.
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better!
Also, I stumbled upon your blog and have fallen in love with the way you describe food. Food has so much depth and personality. It's always wonderful finding other cooks who just...get it.
I've never heard of this chili before but to be frank I've never used a hot chili before in my cooking as my husband has stomach problems. My worse experience was eating a generous amount of wasabi without knowing what it was. Smoke came out of my mouth, nose, eyes, ears... :)
ReplyDeleteOoh! That must have stung! Those are really hot little peppers, aren't they? Now 5 years in the Southwest US, I have just about gotten used to anything they can throw at me... but Scotch Bonnets still bring tears to my eyes. I use them in one dish only - a Bahian shrimp stew. Oddly, when used in this stew, they are not all that hot. I wonder if the coconut milk or the lemon assuages their anger? Hope your lips, tongue and teeth are feeling better today! David
ReplyDeleteThose scotch bonnets are so hot! I knew a guy once from Chile who used to eat a whole one, raw, with every meal. Every other bite, he would eat a bit of the pepper. Small and unassuming, but man are they screaming hot!
ReplyDeleteIt took me completely by surprise. I never expected it to be so hot. My lips, tongue, teeth are all better now. Thankfully, after about half an hour all the symptoms subsided. I look at the photos now and I'm reminded of the pain. Ouch!
ReplyDeleteThank you guys for your wishes. You're all very sweet :)
Definitely better to have swollen red lips from kissing! Poor you!
ReplyDeleteSorry you had to go through that! My long years in Texas have enlightened me about chilies and i have stayed away from that one!
ReplyDeleteOuch! I went through a phase when I was 23 and had just met my husband (then boyfriend) where I could eat the spiciest food EVER. On a trip to Hawaii, we found this shrimp stand and I ordered hotter than hot and he tried to keep up with me (out of love!) but the poor guy suffered the whole plane ride home :( I am sure he'll never forget that. But needless to say, we've been together 13 years now and luckily my spicy phase has passed :)
ReplyDeleteThis happened to me once. Being unaware I found out after I rubbed my eyes. Ouch. Awful. I really don't like cooking with hot peppers either!
ReplyDeleteSorry for you. Are you better ? I have never tried yellow chili, but once I scratched my eye right after chopping of fresh red chilies. It was not a very tempting experience :)
ReplyDeleteThis happened to me, but not with the scotch bonnet- with one of those small pepper trees. I just tasted a lentil sized piece and literally thought I would die. In went ice cubes. No relief. Then bread. No relief. I called the emergency at the hospital. The nurse could hardly talk to me she was laughing so hard. It was really no laughing matter, but she told me I would live and to take an aspirin or a Tylenol for the pain and forget about it. Not possible.
ReplyDeleteNever again. I am so careful around all "hot peppers" now it makes my husband crazy. I completely understand!
One should have to have a letter of permission professing one's understanding of the heat inside to buy one!
:)
valerie
Oooo, scotch bonnets are definitely HOT!
ReplyDeleteScotch bonnets are HOT! Definitely a serious chili...
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
P.S. Yes, my plates came from IKEA... ;-P
LOL, I once had a very potent tom yum gong and had diarrhoea for 2 days
ReplyDeleteI'm a coward and never dare to buy whole chillis and slice them but rather just stick to a sprinkling to red flakes. Hope your mouth has recovered!
ReplyDeleteI have a higher tolerance for chilli than most, but that being said, if something is too hot, you really don't taste anything, and that's no fun at all.
ReplyDelete*kisses* HH
beware the scotch bonnet! It's hard to believe that it could be THAT HOT---until you experience it. my brother has a capsicum allergy, and
ReplyDeletehis entire face becomes disfigured with swelling in proportion to the intensity of the culprit.
Oh i should have warned you......about the stranger in your kitchen. Though to be honest, that is my favourite chili in the world - Some call them Madame Jeanette.....I always, always have a bag in the deepfreezer and when I run out....I go into total meltdown. I do agree that it has to be used with caution - it has a wonderful bouquet when added just at the end of cooking. I usually grate part of a frozen one into some salsa or sauce - just a touch to highlight the flavours and bring sweet heat. Take care
ReplyDeleteWhat is the difference between a "Scotch Bonnet" and a Habanero?? I am confused. And by the way I love your blog.
ReplyDeleteStelio thank you. The Scotch bonnet is a cultivar of the habanero.
ReplyDelete