Q: Hi Dave,Is there any easily available equivalent to the "facing heaven” chiles mentioned in Fuchsia Dunlop’s Sichuan cookbook?—Harvey A: Hello Harvey:Substitute piquins for "facing heaven" chiles.–Dave
Stomach Pain – Too Much Spice?
Q: Dear Dave,Last night at a restaurant I ate an hors d’oerve dish that the place challenges people to finish, presumably because it is so hot. Few do it. It is made up of 5 habanero chile fritters and habanero hot sauce for dipping. Going down was painful, but do-able. When it hit my stomach, though, I felt a low …
Stressing Chiles Makes Them Hotter
Q: Hi Dave,Recently at a dinner engagement I said that the chiles will produce more capsaicin if grown in an adverse environment, the more adverse the hotter the chiles. A friend differed with me and said that it was genetic. What is the correct reason for the heat in chiles?Kind regards, Michael A: Hello Michael:We now believe the heat level is …
Thai Varieties & Gardening in Spain
Q: Hi Dave,I live in southern Spain and started growing a variety of chile plants outdoors. The plants from last year are still growing and have plenty of chiles growing. Should I remove all the fruit and cut the present plants back during the winter, or should I go ahead and plant new varieties for the coming season? We don’t …
Goat Peppers
Q: Hi Dave, While traveling in the Bahamas, we left the tourist areas and ate/shopped in local markets and restaurants. We discovered goat peppers and loved them. Can’t find them in the States, of course, but I also can’t find any seed to purchase so that I can grow them. Are they also known under another name? Do you have any …