By
Perucci (Hot Thang)
Ferraiuolo
Scalding
its way along the Caribbean islands from
Trinidad to Cuba and then to the Yucatan
Peninsula where it got the name, the
Habanero (Spanish for "from Havana")
pepper, our planet's hottest, has flamed
the American taste bud so much that it is
perhaps the only fruit to achieve cult
worship status.
They
look harmless enough -- these green,
orange, or yellow wrinkled chilies about
the size of a quarter -- but one bite will
give you phantasms of both ecstasy and
anguish. They're so hot that many products
made with them (salsas, barbecue sauces,
steak sauces) contain a disclaimer, a
warning label, and sport ominous names
such as Ring of Fire Salsa, Blair's Death,
Endorphin Rush, and Mad Dog Inferno Hot
Sauce.
YEOW!
HOT!
To
give an idea on just how hot the Habanero
really is, a jalapeno pepper registers
from 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville units (a
measurement of capsaicin levels -- the oil
that makes chilies hot), but the
inexpressible Habanero bursts the scale at
between 100,000 and 350,000 units. A red
Habanero, called the Red Savina is the
hottest pepper ever tested, with a rating
of 577,000 Scoville heat units -- more
than 100 times hotter than the
Jalapeno.
And
thatís just fine with Bellingham's
Joel Friant, the sole manufacturer of the
Habanero Shaker -- a one and a half ounce
container of dried Habanero flakes. An
unabashed chilihead, Friant says the
pepper is legendary and quickly snagging
Northwest savor. "As the word gets out,
people are trying Habaneros and becoming
addicted to them," he says. "At first the
heat is overwhelming, but if youíre
brave enough to endure, youíll
build up a tolerance to the nuclear blast
and the real flavor, kind of fruity and
aromatic, will come
through."
After
one's initial excruciating chili epiphany,
Friant assures that ingesting Habaneros
can give out a calming feeling and a
euphoric soothing sensation. "Chiliheads
call it the 'Habanero High,'" he smiles,
"and there isn't anything quite like
it."
SIZZLING
SIDE BENEFITS
According
to many, the Habanero may provide a number
of other benefits besides its supposed
endorphin-induced ebullience. "Capsaicin
increases your metabolic rate suggesting a
possible aid in weight loss, and is a
stomach lining irritant, thus arousing
prostaglandin -- a substance that serves
as a protective barrier in preventing
ulcers. Habaneros are also full of Vitamin
A, and can kill many types of bacteria,"
says Friant.
But
that's not the only reason why people are
hotfooting it to the mother of all
tastebud abusing scorchers. Judy Dawson of
Redmond, Washington-based Market Spice,
wholesalers of Habanero products, says its
reputation precedes it. "The Habanero,
isn't something you want to take lightly,"
she warns. "It's overpowering. When we
blend it we use masks, gloves, and a lot
of protective gear -- and it still can be
overwhelming."
SHOW
ME DA BURN
Tim
Kennedy, owner of Tim's Cascade Potato
Chips, in Auburn, Washington, says when he
started the business in 1986 his two main
chips were the regular and the now famous
Jalapeno chip, but... "We had to tone down
our Jalapeno chip quite a bit back then,"
he says. "I don't think the Northwest was
ready for such a hot chip."
It
sure is now, though. Not only is the
Jalapeno chip back up to full strength,
but the company has recently introduced
the region's first full strength Jalapeno
tortilla chip. "I have seen a definite
change in the demand for hot," Kennedy
points out. "People can't get enough, it
seems, and the hotter the
better."
The
upscale Larry's Markets are one of the few
places around where Chiliheads can find
fresh Habaneros. Produce Manager, Terrel
Judy, from the Bellevue, Washington store,
says the majority of people don't know
about the pepper but that's slowly
changing. "They are quickly growing in
popularity," he says, "and the ones who
already know about the Habanero are
ecstatic that they can find them here
fresh."
AN
OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCE
Joe
Cavender is also bullish about Habaneros.
As a lifetime member of the Chili
Appreciation Society, Puget Pod chapter,
and owner of Seattle's World Class Chili,
he says eating the pod is a lot like
having an out-of-body experience. He
explains: "First, you build up a tolerance
to the heat and pain, then you acquire a
craving, and finally an addiction to it.
Eleven years ago, my customers were
saying, 'can't you make that chili a
little milder?'" he laughs, "and now
they're saying, 'canít you make it
any hotter?'"
"We
distribute a lot of our product to the
Northwest, but it's not just a phenomenon
of the Northwest," observes Cathy Kelley,
owner of Lake Havasu City, Arizona's
Peppers & Spice, nationwide
distributors of legendary Ass Kickin
Salsa. "It's a nationwide craving, and I
have no idea what will happen if and when
the Habanero becomes too tame -- Maybe the
end of the world as we know
it."
