One way to get the point across
One way to get the point across
I do lots of very spicy food. I think my tongue has literally been damaged over time, so stuff I don’t register as being even the slightest bit spicy are unbearably hot to others, and I have to really ratchet it up.
But what I’ve found at lots of Asian restaurants is that the staff assumes my pale, white ass can’t take real heat. I ask for “5-peppers” hot and they’re like “We’ll start you with a 2.” It’s annoying. I’ve never been served food that’s “too hot” in a restaurant. So I kinda understand these exaggerated descriptions people give on food orders.
Reminds me of a time me and a coworker stopped for Indian food at a place neither had been before and he said he wanted a number 7. He’s Korean so the server didn’t blink , I said 1 please.
When the server walked away I was like man what the hell are you doing a fucking 7 !?, he said I like spicy food , I said ok sorry I mentioned it.
He needed a towel to dry his face , his nose had sweat beads dripping off it. He ate the whole dish , said it was way too hot. And he should have ordered a 2 or 3.
I don’t play around in those places, store baught hot sauce is as far as I go and I like it just fine , got nothing to prove. I’ve tried sauces so hot my ears were ringing and I don’t like that jazz
There’s a Mexican restaurant by me where they keep the good hot sauce in the back.
You can ask for it.
You can purchase it.
They do not keep it on the table.
The guy will however come up to you all sketchy like and ask if you like spicy, then bring you a ramekin for your food and let you know you can take a jar home.
10/10
When I was in the US with another Brit buddy we went out for a curry (Gaylord Chicago IIRC) and each ordered a vindaloo. The head waiter was dispatched to our table to warn us this might be too spicy. When we told him we were British he nodded, smiled, and said “I understand, I’ll let the kitchen know.”
It was still a bit on the mild side for a BIR vindaloo.
I once had to leave a negative review at the Thai place I go for lunch pretty regularly, because they got a new hostess and she kept trying to save me from my hubris multiple weeks in a row.
The owners finally had a conversation with her and now I get my Pad Thai at the appropriate spice level. I gave edited the review to 5 stars afterwords.
I like my Pad Thai spicy.
I usually get a 4 out of 5. I was getting a 1.
God I feel this. My mother told me once to be careful not to make my eggs too spicy by adding too much black pepper.
I’ve made food that I thought was literally flavorless and been told it was too spicy to finish. So, now when I cook for family I actually just don’t add any seasonings and I point them to the cabinet. “You’re not gonna like most of what you find in there, but there’s at least some butchers blend you should be able to handle”
Worse, I’ve noticed that a lot of the hotter stuff doesn’t even have a good flavor.
For regular jarred Mexican salsa, I like Herndez. The hot isn’t very hot and it would be completely fine for me with chips or whatever, but the flavor of the medium is so much better. I don’t really get it.
I used to live in West Africa, where everything is spicy. Grilled scotch bonnet peppers are a garnish in restaurants. It’s sink or swim. Thai restaurants make their “mild” Thai mild, swimming in peppers.
At some point you cross a point of tolerance where the lovely flavors of hot peppers open up to you. Orange bonnets and habaneros are wonderfully delicious. Zingy with a fruity chili flavor that is unlike other milder peppers. 10/10 my favorite. But only something one can taste once you learn to tolerate capsicum exposure.
