A relative of mine loves jalepeno peppers.He put them in most of the foods that he makes. He even just eats the peppers a lot as well(I think he said including the seeds).

Well, I also love "tasty hotness" as well. Garlic,onions, jalepenos,horseradish help brighten up the foods.

But I never had jalepeno by itself. So courageously, I ate a pepper. Suddenly , my eyeballs were crying , then my nose was crying, and my tongue was screaming. Man, I thought that only happens at cartoon characters. I almost ran to the fridge and grab some milk(somehow milk cures or mellows down the heat, which does for me).

It was nice and hot. Also, it seems that my head is clearer afterwards. After all, peppers are one of healthiest produces out there. Sattie said it clears sineses. I can see why.

So, is there any of you can take the heat? Or, you have a taste for hot or spicey?

Tree Dude

Yes, my family also has a taste for the spicy. I am a big fan of black pepper, salsa, sambals, chow-chow, jalapenos plain, stuffed, grilled and any way we can get them. We don't eat them raw because we just don't enjoy the flavor. Chinese "cock sauce", as we call it for the rooster on the jar/bottle, is a favorite for my entire family. It's especially good on cooked greens - spinach, turnip, collard, etc. YUM!

However, I've met my limit to the hotness factor. The hottest thing I have ever lived through was a Chinese corn soup. My mouth literally burned for 6 hours. Amazing stuff. Whatever pepper they used must have been off the charts in Scoville units.

There are all kinds of health benefits to a spicy hot diet. Salsa is regularly sited as the condiment of choice for everything from baked potatoes to dip. An extract from cayenne peppers is cited for digestive system and circulatory issues. They're all good and all useful. What's not to love? Hooray for Hot!
Kathe

Great topic! Cooking with peppers and spices is a great way to add flavor to your meals, though I don't like eating them by themselves. It is amazing how something like a hot bowl of tortilla soup or salsa can bring sweat to your brow and make your sinuses drain.

When it is cold in the winter, add heat to your food. When you are cleansing (or your sinuses are for you) in the spring, add peppers to help clean out your body. But then go for cool in the heat of the summer (like cucumbers and mint), because the heat of those hot foods will affect you emotionally as well as physically. The power of these foods is amazing and even mind-mannered persons can find themselves more irritable eating hot foods in the summer. Stay cool in the Texas heat!

Mary

Oh, great advice! I appreciate your inputs, Mary.
I so do wish people would paymore attention to foods, and especially nutritional therapy.
It does indeed affect so much of our lives and lifestyles!

Kathe

I like my food to be spicy, but not necessarily hot....I like to taste the food without being overpowered by a need to put the fire out....:> My favorite condiment is The Original Texas Sweet & Hot Jalapenos from Tastes of The Southwest, in Tyler, TX...I have to get them mail order...They're not cheap, but they're great on burgers, nachos, etc.

If you are in a daring mood, try Blair's sauces. They are some of the hottest I have ever tried and they are natural. He doesn't use preservatives. http://extremefood.com/index.php They even come with warning labels and little skull and crossbones.

I have found that adding a little of these hot pepper sauces, including Tabasco, to tuna fish sandwiches adds a zing to an otherwise boring sandwich.

Dean

Mmm, love hot foods! We've got jalapeños and cayennes in the garden of course, and this year I'm growing something known locally as chili cabro. Hot as all get out, but full of wonderful flavor.

As it's football season, I am expected to make hot wings at least once a weekend and my recipe is one I adapted from a few trips to Costa Rica. Add a little chili powder to masa and dredge wings before frying, then add copious amounts of chopped garlic to the hot sauce and butter mix. You get three layers of heat this way. Of course, that means you need lots of cold beer to go with that burning sensation!

We rarely get below 70 degrees here in Nicaragua (thank goodness!), but when we lived in the States we would make up capsules (00) of cayenne powder to take when it was real cold outside. It warms you up real fast when the winter winds are blowing.