Must be a psychic connection. My wife just came in for her study group meeting (I'm still at work) and she brought some Sweetwater Valley Farm smoked white cheddar to snack on. Even better, she brought me some of a new flavor they have - Habanero! Imagine Pepper Jack made with pieces of red habanero instead of jalapeno. I haven't tried it before - it's gooooooood!!!
How can you eat habeneros? all they are is pure unadulterated burn.
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How can you eat habeneros? all they are is pure unadulterated burn.
No way!! Sure, they burn, especially if you eat them straight (I have done this and do not recommend it.) Aside from the burn, though, they have a wonderful flavor - maybe the best flavor of any of hot pepper. It's kind of a smoky, citrusy flavor. I love the flavor of habaneros. Granted, in order to really enjoy the flavor you have to 'tone down' the heat a bit. Thing is, the dairy in the cheese does that. Some people drink milk to lessen the effects of hot pepper because it supposedly 'coats' your mouth, throat, etc. and provides a little insulation against the capsicum that makes your mouth burn. IMO, habaneros taste much better than jalapenos (as do serranos and cayennes.)
Habaneros are wonderful in sweet-spicy sauces. They give that aforementioned smoky flavor along with a nice 'bite' that counteracts and balances well with sweet ingredients. From the other angle, the same tastebuds that sense heat also sense sweet, and sweet is dominant, so that the sweetness also helps balance the heat of the habanero (which is why holding a spoonful of sugar in your mouth after eating something spicy will help to ease the burn/pain - the sweet sort of 'overrides' the heat.) That's why I think the habanero mango chicken wings that JEB mentioned earlier in this thread sound so good. Got to be careful if orange juice, etc. is an ingredient in a truly hot sauce, though. Citrus such as oranges cause the pores in your toungue to 'open up', thereby letting more chili oil into them. More than a 'burning' sensation, extremely hot sauces made with lots of citrus give me more of a feeling that my tongue is being used as a pin cushion - literally like hundreds of needles are being stuck in my tongue - and it takes a long time to go away (BTW, beyond having tried them once or twice before I knew exactly what the effect would be, I don't indulge in those sauces - I'm not that nuts!)
Also, the more 'burn' a pepper gives, the greater the endorphine rush. It's a cheap, legal and totally natural high (I have eaten sauces made with pure capsicum that literally made me forget where I was for a few seconds.)
That being said, there are legends that Aztec warriors would sometimes eat habaneros before going into battle because the pain made them more fierce. Other stories indicate that they rubbed the juice from them on their temples to aid with headaches (and today there is a pain-relief cream that is made with capsicum extracted from peppers.) The one that makes me cringe, though, is that they supposedly would put a few drops of habanero juice into the eyes to help cure cataracts. I never use gloves when cutting up hot peppers because I eat them/cook with them so much that my hands are immune. However, I was working with some dried 'Thai Red Devil' peppers once, chopping them up really fine, and one of the seeds 'popped' up into my eye. All I can say is, "OUCH!!!"
How can you eat habeneros? all they are is pure unadulterated burn.
habaneros actually have some of the best flavor of all peppers.
They go very well with sweet things. Ever try pepper jelly and cheese on a cracker?
IF you have a Buffalo Wild Wings near you, stop in and try the Mango-Habanero wings, or at least get a sample of the sauce.
It has some kick, but not too bad. Very, very tasty though.
Sweet, and hot, kind of smokey almost too.
(edit: I just read JB's post after this, he's much more descriptive than I am. He's right on though.)
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I Hate GM, deal with it.
One shot, One Kill! Don't waste ammo, it's pricey!
2005 GT Screaming Yellow: SLP Loudmouths
Ibanez guitars, S&W revolvers, Glock Semi's
Republican write in Presidential Candidate 2012
1998 3.8 mustang , orange , cobra hood , wings west body kit , clear diamond cut head lights - side lights , GT fog lights , H pipe - new GT exhaust , CAI , UDP
I Hate GM, deal with it.
One shot, One Kill! Don't waste ammo, it's pricey!
2005 GT Screaming Yellow: SLP Loudmouths
Ibanez guitars, S&W revolvers, Glock Semi's
Republican write in Presidential Candidate 2012
