event Chicago Fiery Food Fest

This was truly an experience. Not a huge event but more than enough to fill 8 hours. Still had to make haste toward the end for purchases.
 
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And yes, Had to stop by and see Ed @ Pucker Butt
 
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The only other A/V I got was the hot popper challenge. I will  post it to YouTube and add the link here.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adq6rXkPOMQ
 
 
This was my 1st capsaicin event and there was a lot learned from it. 1st and foremost is, if you enjoy the lesser chili bases sauces like jalapenos, serranos and habaneros, stay away from the scorpion - reaper based sauces til later. I know I was tasting samples that on any given day would be activating my capsaicin receptors. But after the mil+ scovies, everything was like flavored water. Difficult to make accurate judgments when that happens.
 
 
 
You know, there just is not enough kudos to those with either, earned or blessed high capsaicin tolerances. Not that I would trade my never seeming to increase tolerance for theirs. But early into the show I enjoyed a small slice of reaper (we are talking a three stick match head size slice) and I was fighting an endorphin rush while recording the popper challenge. Wow, that was a rush!
So what I mean by not trading my tolerance for theirs is simply this, I get the same flavor and heat in a smaller quantity. Means my pods, powder, sauce or dried flakes last longer and I lose nothing by it. Still, If you can devour a scorpion, 7 pot, moruga, brain strain or reaper pod and not lose your sanity, virginity or your life, my hats off to you as dont expect to ever get their.
 
There was a fairly good sampling of very mild to scorching hot sauces, a little something for everyone. And the same as for taste to heat ratios. Some with no taste and just apparently designed to scorch and some with very little heat but flavor to almost make up for it and of course many choices  in between the two. Over all it was well balanced and probably more easily manageable to see everything having been there done that. Problem I think is when it comes to chilis, I get really involved, lose track of time and get lost in comradery and social interaction. Add the alcohol and or HHwiskey to the mix and one could easily make it an over night extravaganza.
 
I love a good BBQ sauce and I picked up a few that are phenomenal. The 1st is a collaboration between CaJohn and Amberfyre. It is called MANHATTAN an is a Black cherry and vanilla mellowed bourbon BBQ sauce. This is a modified version of a more mellow sauce under the same name. The flavor is outstanding and one could easily bump the heat index up several notched without causing adversity to the flavor.
 
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The second, third and fourth are from the same company, Two Fat Guys. Interestingly enough their PO box is in McHenry ,IL
These 3 BBQ sauces were all very full bodied with flavor to match. I realize that taste is in the eye of the beholder and they differ as well. But I am very very picky with taste. Particularly my own(humor).
The ingredients list spices and no specific pepper is named yet these were absolutely delicious. I would even go so far as to say the best BBQ sauces I have had to date. Each one was slightly different and noticeably so, but worth procurement.
 
 
 
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