Leonard's Enroute

My Red Hot Love Affair


You sweat, sniff, tear, the world seem to be spinning and you reach out desperately for cold water - no, I'm not talking about falling in love. But a similar experience nonetheless - eating Chilli.

Chilli, the King of Spice. The most frequently used seasoning in the world next to salt and the love of my culinary life. If some like it hot then the rest certainly don't know what they are missing.

I sometimes tell people that if I ever got crucified on a cross and a roman soldier pieced my sides with a spear, out of it will flow Coffee and Chilli. My love for and semi-addiction to these two substances is known among my friends. However it is to the latter that I dedicate this entry to.

From the Nonya Sambal Balachan to Chicken Rice Garlic Chilli, the Thai Chilli Padi to the humble cut chilli with light soya sauce of my favourite prawn mee soup, my most well-worn request at eatries is 'Uncle, Jia Lal'. Hardly a meal goes by without the generous involvement of the Wonder Spice.

My not-so-secret love affair with the tongue-scorching fruit with its many culinary manifestations dates back the day at the tender age of 5 when I sacred my 2nd Auntie silly after licking clean my fourth plate of Chicken Rice Chilli at Marine Parade Hawker Center. The sheer enjoyment from both the chilli's fiery taste and the priceless look of horror on my Aunty's face ignited a lifelong passion which still burns today. Literally.

The Chilli Appreciation Society International (yes, there's one) likens the aroma of good chilli to 'the rapture of a love's kiss.' Capsaicin is the chemical ingredient that gives chilli its fiery bite. It triggers the brain to release endorphins which are natural painkillers that promotes a sense of relief, pleasure and a feeling of a 'natural high'. (Ask any chilli lover.) Apparently cooking doesn't lessen capsaicin's intensity, so removing the pith and seed is the best way to reduce its heat although why anyone would want to do that frankly beats the heck out of me.

HURTS SO GOOD

Fiery sensations, pure pleasure and a taste of heaven aside, Chilli is actually good for you. I found out that it contains antioxidants Vitamin A and E. It also a good source of iron, calcium, potassium, folic acid and beta carotene. Chilli is good for digestion, reduces asthma and wipes out cholesterol and free radicals that causes heart diseases. It is even know to reduce the risk of colon cancer. And if that doesn't make you want to run out now for some indian food, do you know fresh chilli contain 7 times more Vitamin C than orange and they're also fat and cholesterol-free.

So the next time you're about to ask someone to go easy on the chilli, stop and think about the immense good you are actually depriving him or her.

And then repent.



THE ART OF CHILLI EATING

So whether you are a air-sucking, drink-grabbing beginner or a hot-blooded tongue-numbed veteran, here's a quick guide to enjoying this sensational spice:


1. Size matters. The larger the chilli, the weaker it is. Small chillies because proportionally, they contain more seeds and veins than larger ones are generally more fiery. (The same seem to apply with people.) When you slice the chilli, the more small circles you see, the more power it is. Larger circles....well, they would make good garnishing.


2. Drinking cold water, beer or coke doesn't douse the oral inferno after a chillified meal - in fact, all it does is spread the fire all over your mouth.


3. The best antidote is anything dairy, like milk, yogurt, butter etc. Terik Tareh or milk tea works as well. But my advise is to take it like a man/woman because...


4. Eating chilli comes with practice. It will feel like hot coals in your mouth the first time, but the more you eat, the more you will used to it - and enjoying its spiciness. As a good catholic, I liken it to purgatory before the bliss of heaven. So go for it, dig in, it can only get better, trust me. As they say. "No pain, No gain."




So allow me to end with this question:

Qn: What do the following have in common?

Chicken Rice, Crab, Prawns, Otak, Mussels, Wanton Mee, CharKuayTiao, SteamBoats, Prata, Pizza, Rendang, Fish, Beef, Weddings, Frog Legs, Thosai, Laska, Fried Rice, Seafood EE Mee, Cheekuay, Hokkein Mee, French Fries, Nasi Briyani, Fishball Noodle, MeeSiam, Curry Puff, Eggs, Prawn Fritters, BBQ StingRay, BBQ Sotong, Duck Rice, Kang-Kong, Masala Chicken, Tom Yam Soup, Nasi-Lemark, Mee Goreng, Ramen, MeeRebus, Life.


Ans: Unimaginable without Chilli!


So a big Hallelujah..(oops, lent..) to the Good Lord for creating those spleen-splitting, incendiary, tongue-scorching, appetite-firing little zingers, for without which my life, not to mention meals, would ever be the same.

"Taste and see that the Lord is Good."

Now hand me that glass of water.

Leo

(If there are Chilli Lovers out there reading this, hey! Do drop a comment and share the love!)


Thanks to Cheryl Chia from www.bakerwhocooks.blogspot.com for photos.