by Victor Béguin, Chef
La Bonne Table -- Culinary Art School and Catering Service

A FRIEND FROM Guinea, of Indian heritage, can eat the hottest vindaloo curry I have ever tasted. One day at her introduction to Thai food, she told the waiter that they couldn't make it hot enough for her. He smiled and agreed to try. When she took the first bite, she turned red, then purple and began to cry, at which point most of the kitchen staff came out to watch. After much banter and laughter they explained that they made it much hotter than any of them could tolerate. Lesson one!

My first such experience was at the age of 11, at boarding school in South Africa. We had a large contingent of Portuguese kids from Mozambique and they were always talking about food (as one can imagine the school food was dreadful). They had a good supply of canned goods, including something called Piripiri Sardines. One day I just had to ask for a taste and they happily gave me a nice fat sardine, in this lovely red sauce. I popped the whole thing in my mouth as they did, and of course gave them the reaction they expected. Nevertheless I persisted and have loved hot food ever since. The red sauce was made of Piripiri (peereepeeree), small red hot chilies, brought from South America and introduced by the Portuguese where ever they landed, including India, Thailand and China.

Some may thank the Portuguese for all that hot food. (But not all). Why do some people take such hot food, and others have no tolerance at all? Certainly it is a matter of conditioning, cultural heritage and taste sensitivity. Also is seems that the hotter the climate the hotter the food; the further south the hotter the curry. One explanation is that if it is 120°F outside, you need to match this heat in your body in order to digest properly. Of course the more you sweat, the cooler you feel. ( And if its minus 30 outside? -- some how it works too, or maybe its just an illusion)

Another interesting fact is that if you eat enough cayenne (capsicum) you can actually induce a cayenne rush, like runner's high. Endorphins kick in and make you feel good. I have never eaten enough cayenne to experience this, but I have it on good authority that it is true, although not recommended for the beginner.

Probably one of the most interesting discoveries about hot spicy food, is that if seasoned to your tolerance, or just above it, you can begin to taste not only the heat, but also an entire range of enhanced flavor. The initial bite or two may be challenging but if the food is well balanced with other flavors, you can begin to taste and really enjoy them. Hot food is almost always served with a cooling dish, such as cucumber raita, mango salad or plain yogurt. This allows you to taste the hot dishes, then cool down just a bit, then return to the hot. (Don't drink cold water or beer, it won't help! Dairy products like yogurt in the raita help by neutralizing some of the acids in cayenne and coating the tongue, until the next bite) This way you actually build up tolerance and enjoyment of the spicy dishes, and can taste them without pain. You may be amazed at the end of the meal to discover that not only have you finished your plate, but had seconds. The key is not to start with something that is really too hot for you. A tiny taste is usually enough to know -- and you don't have to prove anything by eating the entire Piripiri Sardine either.

Here is my favorite Piripiri Sauce recipe.