Chilli

[dgoz]

Wasn't much of a chilli eater before I came to Thailand, but know I have to have it at least once a day. Most S/E Asians seem to be addicted too.

Is it addictive like caffeine or nicotine?

[pumpuiman]

Some say it is. Endorphins are produced by the body when pain is present. Doing heroin is like a massive release of endorphins.Eating hot chili produces endorphins as well.

So some get addicted to the "rush" of spicy food....because of the release of this chemical from the brain.

[Little Black Duck]

Not ever taken Heroin or any narcotic or even smoked grass..

Used to drink a bit of Lunatic soup in my younger days..

However I love my chili after 13 years here so I guess

you might say its addictive I know everything is bland without it..

Edited January 3, 2007 by Little Black Duck

[autonomous_unit]

As far as I know, it is not addictive in the medical sense but it is easy to become attached to it like other forms of masochism.

It also has a detrimental effect on the sense of taste, in my experience. I periodically have gotten to the point where everything seems bland and then stopped eating chili-laced foods for several weeks to see how the flavors of everything else would slowly rebound. At the time, it seems disturbing and I consider remaining off the (chili) sauce, but it seems I eventually gravitate back to it and repeat the cycle...

[plachon]

As far as I know, it is not addictive in the medical sense but it is easy to become attached to it like other forms of masochism.

It also has a detrimental effect on the sense of taste, in my experience. I periodically have gotten to the point where everything seems bland and then stopped eating chili-laced foods for several weeks to see how the flavors of everything else would slowly rebound. At the time, it seems disturbing and I consider remaining off the (chili) sauce, but it seems I eventually gravitate back to it and repeat the cycle...

Aye, I confess I was a chilli addict once............. Couldn't get enough of the stuff. Used to plead the somtam lady to put extra prik in my somtam and ladled spoonfuls of the old nam prik over every dish. It got to the point where I was idly munching whole raw chillis, thoughtfully left on the table when waiting for my bowl of kwit-tiou to come. I was well and truly hooked, I realised when I returned to England and my favourite dishes over there tasted so dull and bland. People looked at me askance, as I squirted fiery chilli sauce over roast lamb in place of mint sauce, and dipped slices of fruit in a handy bag of dried chilli powder, salt and sugar I kept in my pockets for such emergencies when out with friends. I got DTs when I missed my daily chilli fix.

Eventually, I had to go into rehab by gradual withdrawal and leaving at home my paraphernalia, like little tubs of jaew bong and supplies of dried prik kii noo, when going out for a pub meal. CFA (Chilli Fiends Anonymous)helped a lot of course. Finally I was able to get my habit down to "normal" levels and even kicked the habit totally for a while. But every now and again, I get the urge and hit the hot stuff again for a while, but realise I am travelling down the slippery road to addiction again and quickly get myself round to a friendly neighbourhood gathering of CFA, which usually does the trick. My advice to youngsters thinking about tasting their first chilli is...... STOP! Don't do it! It may look like a harmless little prik, but lurking underneath that red exterior is a demon which will hook your taste buds for life with its evil talons and deceptive innocence.

Stay off it kids!

[markr]

Great to hear you are dealing with your addiction so well, I love to hear the sucsess stories!

It's good to know that with the help of support groups, we can, together leave the demon chilli behind!

Mark

Edited January 3, 2007 by markreed

[coldcrush]

Hiya All,

I have ate chilli fot years, now to my misfortune.... I have an anal "Fissure" (split in the ass passage ) which the Doctor says could have been brought on by spice and beer...being fond of both it would seem logical. I may have to have surgery. It really does hurt as well if you eat spicy food and take a dump. So remember "hot effects the bot".

Edited January 3, 2007 by lopburiguy

[plachon]

Great to hear you are dealing with your addiction so well, I love to hear the sucsess stories!

It's good to know that with the help of support groups, we can, together leave the demon chilli behind!

Mark

Thanks for your words of encouragement Mark. Unfortunately, Xmas is a dangerous time of year for chilli addicts like ourselves and I have to confess that when I saw the turkey coming out of the oven with no red hot fiery ones adorning it or nam prik on the table, I went into remission and grabbed a hidden bottle of McIlhenney's Sauce I keep in the back of our kitchen drawers for such situations and liberally laced the old bird with the illicit manna from heaven. It sent me into a frenzy of furtive chilli encounters over the next week, and I'm glad to report that I'm only just now out of cold turkey.

[libya 115]

Hiya All,

I have ate chilli fot years, now to my misfortune.... I have an anal "Fissure" (split in the ass passage ) which the Doctor says could have been brought on by spice and beer...being fond of both it would seem logical. I may have to have surgery. It really does hurt as well if you eat spicy food and take a dump. So remember "hot effects the bot".

I used to get bad 'ring-sting' after chilli dishes, so now I just eat food with the chilli powder added rather than the whole chilles.

Sounds painful!

I think chillis are addictive; but not as addictive as carrots.

Edited January 3, 2007 by libya 115

[davidjtayler]

What goes in must come out and the sphincter is a very sensitive part of our anatomy ... it can be a very lonely place, the toilet, the following morning ... very lonely ....

[tutsiwarrior]

the artist Robert Crumb had a cartoon named 'World of the future' wherein bowels would be removed at birth and 'you won't have to shit anymore!', an example of his vision and genius...thereby you could eat all the chiles you like, not haveta worry about facing down yer mates with a vindaloo at the curry house nor having to keep up with the tgf to demonstrate that you are a caring and non-ethnocentric falang...

this thread had to become scatalogical sumtime...let me assist...

plachon...me 'ol fish, you are in serious need of help...cauterisation of one's intestinal tract is definitely not advised...

Edited January 3, 2007 by tutsiwarrior

[robint]

I believe chilli is addictive, same as a cup of tea in the morning.

my tgf loves her som tam and if deprived for more than 2 days becomes grouchy and irritable and desperately seeks out a pok pok lady, then shes right as rain agin.

I dont take so much because of an chronic acid stomach but do enjoy say one pod in my food

there is definitely something there in this proposition

ask google http://groups.msn.com/FoodiesCorner/addiction.msnw

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/pepper/...5348029538.html

btw

there are many different flavour experiences over the chili range, just as there are many different flavours of apples say

try the different types in some fairly bland reproducible food like mince pork or beef stir fried with chili (phat Kaprao but leave out the holy basil leaves - horapa at first as they have a strong mint flavour alone and enhance the burning sensation)

lets have your field trial reports by eom

[Donz]

I once drank a hole bottle of chilli for a dare, even got $100 out of it.

I was so pissed i couldnt taste a thing, maybe because I burnt my taste buds off

[tutsiwarrior]

I once drank a hole bottle of chilli for a dare, even got $100 out of it.

I was so pissed i couldnt taste a thing, maybe because I burnt my taste buds off

get outta here donz, was that a small or industrial sized boddle ob tabasco?...I put most ob a small one on my pork an' beans...

a story...in 1972 I shared a house wid sum mates in Oakland CA...we bein' young folks never did like to cook so we went 'round the corner to the pizza palace that featured the TIAJUANA TERROR; sausage, fresh lemon slices and JALAPENO PEPPERS onna scale of 1 to 10. Me ana mate stumbled in about closing time and ordered one an' they saw us comin'...'whaddlitbee lads? 1 to 10?' we said put if offa the scale...you can't do it too hot for us...

the pizza was green/yellow with jalapenos, couldn't even see the cheese...but we managed it with loadsa beer...a memorable feast...

the place was memorable for the pizza and it also had a PONG computer game...the first ob its kind...

jalapeno peppers...look for them at falang supers in BKK pickled in jars...take one home and challenge the tilak to a chile contest and see who wins...burn you a new one, that will...

[farang prince]

Hiya All,

I have ate chilli fot years, now to my misfortune.... I have an anal "Fissure" (split in the ass passage ) which the Doctor says could have been brought on by spice and beer...being fond of both it would seem logical. I may have to have surgery. It really does hurt as well if you eat spicy food and take a dump. So remember "hot effects the bot".

Ah, that's more information than I really need to know Lop. Having grown up in the Southwest United States, I have eaten chile (the spelling where I grew up) most of my adult life. Now living part of the year in Thailand, I greatly enjoy having copious quantities of chili paquin (seeds) in my Thai food (which incidentially is the best food in the world). While it is not addictive, it definitely is one of the great joys of my eating experience. Oh, and by the way, it is medically proven that chili is an excellent remedy for colds and kills plenty of other bacteria in the body.

[rak sa_ngop]

Hiya All,

I have ate chilli fot years, now to my misfortune.... I have an anal "Fissure" (split in the ass passage ) which the Doctor says could have been brought on by spice and beer...being fond of both it would seem logical. I may have to have surgery. It really does hurt as well if you eat spicy food and take a dump. So remember "hot effects the bot".

When I was learning Laos I would record Laos radio programs and have a Laos teacher help me understand them. I could not understand why the teacher laughed out embarrasingly at one point in the programme. It was a public health programme and I finally got out of him that the government health advice was that when bathing or showering to insert your digit into your anus and give it a good clean.

So when in Rome do as the Romans. It certainly cuts down on my after-burn!

[OlRedEyes]

I cannot seem to discover any taste in chillies. Just burn. So whats the point, replacing tasty food with burning food? Maybe the food is just too bland for a start?

Chillies are a crutch for bad cooks I say

[chiliwasabi]

I believe that chilli is addictive (I know I can't function properly without a regular fix of the stuff). It also helps with prevention of stomach; the burn prompts the stomach to form a protective film on the lining protecting it from harm. It is also said to promote regeneration of stomach tissue.

Also, on occasion, when various factors align (such as strength of chilli, weather etc.) the bodies pores purge, while the endorphins surge, and one can achieve a higher "Matrix Style" sense of awareness. But maybe thats just me .

[pumpuiman]

Years ago I worked as a bartender and one of my customers was an ex heroin addict. He would sit down and grab the Tabasco bottle and drink it right from the bottle. He told me he liked the rush, and compared it to heroin.

Apparently not a cure though...saw him a few months ago looking lke hel_l walking the streets in rags.

[tutsiwarrior]

Years ago I worked as a bartender and one of my customers was an ex heroin addict. He would sit down and grab the Tabasco bottle and drink it right from the bottle. He told me he liked the rush, and compared it to heroin.

Apparently not a cure though...saw him a few months ago looking lke hel_l walking the streets in rags.

he got it wrong...one has to mainline tabasco for the real thing...(no disrespect to your pal...)

[Jockstar]

Hi my name is Jockstar and i'm a chilliholic. I must have most of my dishes wiith a bit of spice. When i cook Indian a few extra chillies go in. When i cook lasagna i put a bit of spice in. Most things i cook have a bit of a kick. I love it. My wife is Thai and i eat more spicy than her and most of her family and friends. True! No bullshit. I love it. Even when i have cheese on toast i have to add tabasco. Tuna sandwich with tabasco. I cant stop myself. To all chilliholics. Stand up and be counted!

These pics are the chilliman.

[Jockstar]

Heres a website that will post to you.

http://www.peppersbypost.biz/types.asp

[pumpuiman]

I too am addicted. I always have to have my wife explain that I want it "pet mak mak"...It doesn't seem to register if I do it, they wont listen and give me no chilies. It takes a lot of convincing it seems....and then you are watched closely by waitstaff to see if you'll explode or something

[chiliwasabi]

As a chilliholic, I sometimes have concerns as to how my addiction affects my family and friends. I know when I have them over for dinner they are often reduced to tears. They may be right, maybe I should seek help.....or maybe I could just reduce the chilli in their meals

Chili is not so much food as a state of mind. --Margaret Cousins, novelist

[autonomous_unit]

What's all this talk of tabasco? I thought we were talking about chili!

Unless you have a source for the habenero flavor from tobasco, I think it is just salty vinegar... though I have to admit their chipotle flavor goes nicely on ham or eggs, even if it doesn't have any kick to it.

Actually, I have also reached the point where my guts have staged an intervention. My mouth still likes it going in, but somewhere along the way my body doesn't want to have anything to do with it anymore. I am hoping that a longer chili vacation can set things right.

[coldcrush]

Nam Jim is so nice.... chillis in the fish sauce all hot and swimming like devils ready to burn the buds!

I aint an addict (honest), just passing through.....

[robint]

quote

Oh, and by the way, it is medically proven that chili is an excellent remedy for colds and kills plenty of other bacteria in the body.

unquote

quite right i forgot to mention that

its the reason why northeasterners are able to eat uncooked raw food som tam (and fermented prok) busting with salmonella and other sick making bacteria which we flangs cannot tolerate

warning do not eat locally made naem fermented prok sausage, you will get ill , get worm or worse

BTW

too much chilli is associated with stomach cancer which is highly prevalent up ne

ive seen guys go macho and eat whole prik khee niew (the trick is that you dont chew the beast but swallow it whole) gives you a hel_l of a stingy ring in the morning and probably cleans you out a treat

but persistent abuse would likely be fatal

[tutsiwarrior]

Hi my name is Jockstar and i'm a chilliholic. I must have most of my dishes wiith a bit of spice. When i cook Indian a few extra chillies go in. When i cook lasagna i put a bit of spice in. Most things i cook have a bit of a kick. I love it. My wife is Thai and i eat more spicy than her and most of her family and friends. True! No bullshit. I love it. Even when i have cheese on toast i have to add tabasco. Tuna sandwich with tabasco. I cant stop myself. To all chilliholics. Stand up and be counted!

These pics are the chilliman.

my favorite is liverwurst sammich with tabasco...yum. also, gotta have tabasco with pork an' beans, SPC tomato an'cheese spag an' etc, etc, etc...

I put the tabasco label on my guitar when I was young...

Edited January 4, 2007 by tutsiwarrior

[Drafi]

There are hundreds of different sorts of chili. Normally, chilli contains an alkaloid substance called Capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) which increase the bodies endorphin production. No addiction though. But if you eat too much they can create stomach or intestinal problems like heamorrhoids. The capsaicin itself is not digested.

For further information look here: http://www.g6csy.net/chile/index.html

By the way, the chilis I found and eat in Thailand are only hot but they do not have a lot of flavour. If you ever happen to go to Brasil, especially to Salvador/Bahia, then go to a local market and by the pickled chili looking like this:

http://www.chili-balkon.de/bilder/cheiro-bahia_pflanze.jpg

As I said they are pickled and come in small bottles. Once you taste them you'll know the difference between chili which is only hot and chili which has a taste. You won't regret it. I have never come across any chili-sort which had so much flavour like these. And from these, you can easily become addicted.

[tutsiwarrior]

addictions assume many guises...in indonesia I was addicted to breakfast noodles, mie ayam...if because of floods and other natural disasters the guy with the cart could not be present outside of my office window my whole day would be ruined...

not a chile in sight...

Edited January 5, 2007 by tutsiwarrior