Wondering if someone could point me in the direction of some sort of history of hot pepper stuff... when different varieties became available, different hot sauces, etc. as well as chilihead culture/trading/networking, etc. ...or maybe some anecdotal information on this topic.
In 1995, I was 22 years old. Unless it was just me becoming aware of it, there was a big hot pepper boom around this time. A couple of stores in my area opened and I spent quite a bit of time sampling & bought a few sauces at that time & in the following years. I could be VERY wrong about this, but I remember being told the orange habanero was the hottest pepper available at that time & Dave's Insanity being the hottest sauce on the market. I wasn't really too aware of the pepper industry from 1998 until recently. I'd ask for things spicy at restaurants. I grew orange habaneros, cayennes & jalapenos. I'd hear about ghost peppers & superhots, but just didn't have much interest in any of it until recently. Trying to filling in the gaps in my understanding of pepper history pre-mid 90s boom and since then.
Of course, I know many varieties have been used in the area they're indigenous to for generations, but curious about when some were available here. Also interested in the evolution of chilehead culture itself too.
Thanks in advance. Maybe this is silly. I don't know.
In 1995, I was 22 years old. Unless it was just me becoming aware of it, there was a big hot pepper boom around this time. A couple of stores in my area opened and I spent quite a bit of time sampling & bought a few sauces at that time & in the following years. I could be VERY wrong about this, but I remember being told the orange habanero was the hottest pepper available at that time & Dave's Insanity being the hottest sauce on the market. I wasn't really too aware of the pepper industry from 1998 until recently. I'd ask for things spicy at restaurants. I grew orange habaneros, cayennes & jalapenos. I'd hear about ghost peppers & superhots, but just didn't have much interest in any of it until recently. Trying to filling in the gaps in my understanding of pepper history pre-mid 90s boom and since then.
Of course, I know many varieties have been used in the area they're indigenous to for generations, but curious about when some were available here. Also interested in the evolution of chilehead culture itself too.
Thanks in advance. Maybe this is silly. I don't know.
