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Some like it hot

Okay, here’s another food observation.

I’ve known for about three years or so that most people
in South America (Ecuador, Peru, Colombia etc..) do not
appreciate spicy foods.
I’ve told many of my friends this every time I come back from abroad.
I’m in Texas and the people here still don’t understand.
Almost everyone here expects Latin American people to have
a love of comida picante where ever they live.

So…. You should have seen the faces of my Colombian friends when
I literally ate the aji picante in the restaurants by the spoonful. Priceless.
I’m not sure they believed me when I told them that there are many
many people here that eat salsa and chiles 10 times as picante
as I was eating.
(I like hot food, but I also like to taste my food after the first bite.
I also have a problem with hiccups if the chile gases are way up there.
Sometimes breathing gets to be a problem.)

Just when I made this adjustment I encountered a couple of
Colombians who admitted they DID enjoy hot food.
This floored me as one was a young woman.

Which part of Colombia has the most comida picante?
Do they have chile eating contests?
Does anyone have any stories about comida picante?
Who on this forum loves hot food?

By Roberto99 on Oct 8, 2004, 14:00 in Friendly Talkzone.

vicshere says on Oct 8, 2004, 16:04:

ok bob Ok Bob when you going to tell us about fishing in colombia.... i caught 4 big mothers (2 1/2 lbs each) after you left....the trick was to drag the bait along the bottom go figure.....thank god for the little old man or i would have gone home empty handed....i dont know the name of the fish but they fried up nice..... looks like you had a good time..later vic

listo
"con mucho gusto"
Vic

listo

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Roberto99 says on Oct 8, 2004, 16:23:

WooHoooo What kinda ornery critters were they?
Did they give a fight, or burrow into the bottom?
Ya actually took em home, cleaned and et em?

I had a thought they were bottom feeders
after they didn't bite the spinners, jigs or surface lures
we threw at em.
You used the chicken hearts or the masa?

Ya know.. I almost forgot you were on this forum.
What's been up with the food business?

How's everything with the wife and kiddo?

Good time is not the words.
If I could sell my house soon, I'd be there with
you right now!!!

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Miguel says on Oct 8, 2004, 17:51:

Salsa Picante en Cartagena In several restaurants; also you are right about South Americans not liking hot food, although my girlfriend's dad was really happy that I brought him some habanero seeds. I grow peppers for a hobby and for consumption, and this season I have put up over 500 habaneros and jalapenos from only 7 plants, and they are still coming on mid October here in St. Louis, Mo USA.

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Chuck says on Oct 11, 2004, 15:53:

I've seen some ají that bubbles in a Costeño restaurant! In Antioquia we love empanadas with ají, the stronger the better, but the strongest colombian made aji is made in a tiny restaurant on the Coveñas - Cartagena road. When I sat down on the table I noticed it was bubbling. I added some to my SOPA and it turned it into an acid bath!

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kernow62 says on Oct 11, 2004, 19:03:

Peru? I am not sure about the other countries except for Colombia and Peru, but in Peru spicy and I mean spicier than most Mexican food is very popular & commonplace. The hottest hot sauce I ever tried was from Trinidad or Barbados, made with Scotch Bonnet peppers (I think they are habaneros), the metal lid on the bottle was corroding away!

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