How To Cut a Chile Pepper

Mahalo Daily: Tears of Joy Hot Sauce Shop (Time: 4:22)

[REVIEW] Nanric Road - Tomato 'N Chilli Mustard

Nanric Road are based in the Bay of Plenty and they make a huge range of condiments. I was given some Tomato N Chilli Mustard as a gift at Christmas.

Jar size: 130gm, glass
Ingredients: Mustard 68%, Vinegar, Honey, Tomato, Chilli
Best Before: 08/08
Refrigerate after opening

I like whole grain mustards as a spread on sandwiches and on BBQ'ed meats, but not obsessed about them, and only occasionally will have it. This jar sat around for at least a month, possibly six weeks before I tried it.

Well was I shocked I assumed it would have just a little chilli burn, wrong. You know there is chilli in this mustard, awesome. Once I had had a taste it was like I was trying to find meals and food where I could add this spread. I was having it every day with lunch and most evening meals. I finished the jar off rather quickly.

If you like mustard and like chilli's you have to give this a go.

It's not a Hot Sauce but a product with chilli in it with burn so it is still worthy for a 8.5/10 Get some, try it.

Fresh Habanero's For Sale at Fruit World

Found fresh Habanero's for sale at Fruit World from KUMAN of Te Kauwhata. They are available in a plastic punnet, with about 10 or 12 Orange Habanero's each for $2.99.

These have been seen at two Fruit World locations in Auckland.

[REVIEW] HOLA! Mexican

At the weekend on Easter Monday, when everything seemed to be closed, we found that HOLA! Mexican was open in Parnell.

I got a Burrito for takeaway, it came with sides of salsa, guacamole, and jalapeños. It took about 15 mins, and was $3.50 more that Mexicali Fresh but the tortilla seemed fresher, and the shredded beef was nicer, so offered similar value for money. And it did go very well with the new Epic Lager and a lovely evening at the Domain.

Harvest Sunday

I harvested another 40 Tabasco chilli's from the six Tabasco plants I have, looks like I am going to net about a dozen chilli's from each plant.

Also I harvested my first ripe Habanero (see picture)

Gringo Killer - Oratia Farmers Market

Last weekend the weather was horrible, but today it was glorious. So I headed out to the Oratia Farmers Market in west Auckland.

The main motivator was because they had a stand selling "Chilli Preserves", Gringo Killer.

Gringo Killer has an extensive range of hot chilli sauces which I tried to sample all of them but once the burn builds it is hard to judge the flavours. The hot chilli sauces were in 330ml bottles and priced at $15.00.

I got a bottle of Big Conjones Chilli Sauce made with Habaneros. Product shot and tasting notes to follow.

Once I work my way though this I will need to get some samples of the other products to try.

Check out the website - Gringo Killer

[REVIEW] - Chilli & Tomato Sauce by Urban Appetite

I thought I better get started on the reviews of the hot sauces I have been trying. Today I had one that I have a strong opinion of, and it isn't positive.

FROM THE LABEL:

Brand: Urban Appetite
Product: Chilli & Tomato Sauce
Bottle: 250ml

Ingredients: Tomatoes(65%), white vinegar, water, onions, chilli powder (1%), salt, sugar, canola oil, herbs, spices.

Serving Suggestions: Use with barbecued meats or to marinate prawns before grilling. Drizzle over potato wedges and top with sour cream.

Made in New Zealand by Wild Appetite Ltd, 40 Taradale Grove, North Harbour, Auckland, New Zealand

Best Before - 24 Aug 09

I was given this as a gift, as friends and family know I and a chilli head. I was excited to try something new.

Well on the initial try I was seriously underwhelmed , actually to the point of being disappointed.

This tasted like someone had gone into the spice cabinet and pulled out the old herbs and spices and dumped them into some tomato sauce. The focus being on some old chilli powder. It is one dimensional tomato sauce with just a hit of stale chilli powder.

I left is a few weeks and tried it again today, and it is just a poor product to the point I have thrown the 80% full bottle away (recylcing the bottle of course).

The food technologist that created this should be fired, or maybe the marketing/accountants driving the new product specifications should be. It is a shame that most of these products from Wild Appetite are probably given as gifts, especially if this is what you get.

Rating: 1/10 (the one for the fact they used chilli, maybe it should be 0 as it was a sad use of chilli)

(for a poor product I haven't made much effort for a product shot)

Chilli In My Garden 2008

Tabasco - has been my first to ripen, now the leaves are looking a bit yellow-ish

Jalapeno - just about ready, with lots of big fruit

Habanero - got some good size fruit, but is still flowering like crazy

Rocoto - was late to go in, and just started flowering (nice little purple flowers) so don't guess I will get many this year from it, hope it makes it though the winter

One of the most important spices -- Chilli

International best-selling author Michael van Straten notes, "it's a fact that what we eat makes a massive difference in how well feel."

In his book, Good Mood Food, Straten says you can "eat yourself happy -- there's a powerful connection between mood and healthy eating, yet surprisingly few people realize that this link exists."

Mood foods include chilies, and chili spice, which Straten calls "one of the most important spices -- chilli opens up the tiniest blood vessels, leading to an almost instant rush of blood to the head."

In fact, when you take a bite of a beautiful green jalapeno, the response is instantaneous -- thanks to capsaicinoids, notes Dr. Tanya MacLaurin, food and sensory scientist at the University of Guelph. "Capsaicinoids are compounds found in hot peppers ... the spicy heat sensation in the mouth actually releases feel-good endorphins in the brain, allowing for a post-meal euphoria."

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Chilli turns hot as warehouses run for cover

Chilli prices rose on Thursday on buying prompted by empty exchange warehouses and scarcity of good quality produce in the spot, analysts said. “Exchange warehouses have no stocks. There is no delivery pressure...export demand is also supporting prices,” said an analyst with Anand Rathi Commodities.

In the first 10 months of 2007-08, chilli exports jumped 50.2% to 157,500 tonnes, compared with 104,885 tonnes in the same period a year ago.

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