Ghost Peppers
Years ago, my best friend from first grade (Kevin) threw a Hot Sauce Party. It was pot luck where everyone had to bring a hot sauce for a tasting game. Originally, I had a family gathering and was going to miss this. That changed when people saw how miserable I was about missing it. So, I whipped up some Sesame PB Noodles and bought some extra spicy Soy Sauce. I didn’t know about the tasting, so I thought the dish had to go with the sauce you brought. I was the only Asian dish/sauce in a plethora of Tex-Mex.
Two amusing stories involving me come from this event. The first isn’t really funny. I was introduced to Ghost Wings. Ghost peppers was the hottest hot pepper in the world until 2012. This event happened around 2010/2011. Somebody brought chicken wings bathed in Ghost Pepper Sauce. They were delicious and I got into an eating challenge with another guest. Sort of. It was throughout the night and event number two made it difficult. I think I won by one wing because I stayed longer or something. Beer was necessary too.
The second event involved the actual tasting. Kevin’s lovely and, I’m assuming, highly amused wife set up the tasting bowls. 37 hot sauces and only she knew which ones where which. We had Taco Bell sauces packets, some homemade hot sauces, and a load of store bought. We graded on hotness, taste, and a scoopability (I think). Everyone sat around the table and began discussing how we should start. Me and two others were sitting by the first bowl and said in unison, “From Number One!” A few beers were had before this.
We dipped the chips, put the chips in our mouths, and bugged out like somebody lit our balls on fire. People avoided #1 until they had no choice. You see, #1 (the inevitable winner) was Liquid Lava. It tasted good, but hit so hard and painfully that the three of us rushed to the ‘Relief Table’. Milk, yogurt, and various other anti-hot sauce foods to help people when they were in need. The others could hear us making indescribable noises as we tried everything. Beer worked will. One of us . . . okay, I tried to undo it with a Ghost Wing. Believe it or not that worked because it numbed everything. So, I was the idiot using the hot wings to recover from the hot sauce.
It was a fun night . . . and a terrible morning.
Legends of Windemere 
You are a better man than I, I enjoy a good “warm” wing, but I never intentionally go out of my way to suffer while eating. I bow before you O’ Pepper Master. 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks. I doubt I could do it now with my recent stomach issues.
LikeLike
This made me laugh. I couldn’t do it though. I like a little kick but I want to enjoy the flavor too.
LikeLike
I think that was part of the grading system.
LikeLike
I love spicy food. The spicier the better. But I will never understand people who go for the insanely hot. When we go out for chinese and I ask for a spicy dish I always ask the server “is it actually spicy?” I’ll only order if I get assurances that it is, which it usually ends up not being. The only good Mexican restaurant is one that has excellent salsa, which means it needs to light a bit of a fire.
My wife insists my taste buds have been burned off because of all the spicy food I eat.
LikeLike
I’ve wondered about the spicy chinese food because it never hits me. I think they do it because there are a lot of people who can barely handle a little spice. So, it’s a disclaimer for the sensitive diners that people who love spicy food mistake as a promise. I never really thought of chinese food as a spicy cuisine anyway unless you eat a bunch of those peppers.
LikeLike
Yep … it’s only the peppers that make Chinese food spicy.
LikeLike
And the mustard if you use enough.
LikeLike
The mustard is the wrong kind of hot.
LikeLike
There’s a wrong kind of hot?
LikeLike
There’s the back of the throat hot and the nose hot. Curry and hot mustard are nose hot — never liked those. I like the back of the throat burn.
LikeLike
I actually like the nose hot for some reason. Maybe the sinus cleansing feeling.
LikeLike
I have a feeling an awful lot of beer was had before you tried the ghost wings. 😀 Back in the day I could eat anything no matter how spicy or hot. Now my tummy just cannot handle anything much above bland. *sigh* It is hell getting old…
LikeLike
It is hell. Didn’t take much beer because I like spicy food. Probably shouldn’t each it though.
LikeLike
I used to love spicy food. I would always win any bet, or contest my friends would have. Takes a toll. My wife made some great salsa the other day, cleared my sinuses and made my tummy angry. 😦
LikeLike
Nobody in the house cooks spicy food. I’m alone in that, so I plan ahead. I can survive 1 spicy meal a week if I behave myself.
LikeLike
I can picture this party 🙂 I love the flavor of peppers but if it kicks up a sweat on my nose and forehead I am not likely to try it again. My cousin, Dean, who owns The Cove, collects hot sauces and people from around the world send them to him, but one of his favorites is “Woman Scorned”. I can’t take it.
LikeLike
I used to use tiger sauce when I was in high school. Found it again recently and it tastes terrible. Guess tastes change as we age.
LikeLike
My mouth still loves hot sauce, but my stomach has gotten to where it can only handle a little.
LikeLike
I have good days and bad. With my stomach issues, I have to be more careful.
LikeLike
You seem to be doing better with that though. Staying out of the ER 🙂 Dean chases his hot sauced foods with Red Dog beer, and I have never been a beer drinker. Somebody told me if you drink beer with hot sauce it doesn’t upset your stomach, but he may have been pulling my leg.
LikeLike
Never tested the theory on purpose. As for my gut, I hate to admit that the stress of the flu has been setting it off. Not been pretty.
LikeLike
Oh yeah, sorry about that. I wouldn’t test that theory anytime soon.
LikeLike
I just want to get to a point where I can function. Closer every day.
LikeLike
Woman scorned? Sounds like something Satan would use on his Tacos… 😉
LikeLike
“Diablo” 🙂
LikeLike
Aww man, that all sounds painful. >_<
LikeLike
It was. Worth it though. 🙂
LikeLike
Omg, I would have loved to attend a Hot Sauce Party. I have a nasty (how my husband calls it) habit of drinking hot sauce with a straw. I really can’t eat anything that is not hot and spicy anymore and I keep complaining the dishes I get are not spicy at all, while others would instantly faint if even licking the fork.
I couldn’t help but laugh when I read how you tried to extinguish Liquid lava 🙂
LikeLike
You’d give my friend a run for his money. I wish I had my old cast iron stomach to keep enjoying spicy food. I’ve gone more for taste that kick lately.
LikeLike
Has your moth cooled off yet, Charles?
LikeLike
Yeah, but I took full advantage of the numb mouth. It’s how I survived the other sauces.
LikeLike
Good planning. hehe.
LikeLike
Great story! I was thinking of hosting a “no reason at all”dinner but you just gave me a theme, lol, though I don’t know how well it will do since most of my friends are of Latin backgrounds and are pretty much use to the hottest of sauces…:P
LikeLike
Still fun. There’s also beer, chili, cheese, salsa, taco, and pizza party styles. You can probably do one any food type.
LikeLike
“Beer was necessary,” and “beer helped well.” Sounds like you consumed beer in large quantities 🙂
LikeLike
Not that large because I had to drive home. 2-3 throughout night.
LikeLike
Oh no! That sounds so painful! I can’t handle spicy food, so I’d have been the one hiding under the table, hoping no one noticed I was even there. 🙂 LOL
LikeLike
You’d be fine. It was all voluntary.
LikeLike
LOL! Okay then!
You’re very brave for doing it, Master of Spicy Food!
LikeLike
Long since retired due to stomach issues.
LikeLike
Oh, I see.
That’s too bad. You sounded like a real pro at that! 🙂
LikeLike
Dabbler. My friend is the professional spicy food, beer, and sports guy. Took me years to learn I couldn’t keep up with him.
LikeLike
LOL! At least you learned! That’s a good thing! 🙂
LikeLike
Yup. Me smart.
LikeLike
Fight fire with fire! 🙂
LikeLike
That sounds like a shaky theory. How would one throw the fire at the other fire without injury?
LikeLike