I consider myself to have a pretty good tolerance for spice...I went to a Chinese place in NYC where they custom make whatever you ask them to, and I asked for something really, really spicy.
It WAS pretty spicy, but not enough to dampen the taste, which is how I like it. The guy came out to the table and asked how it was, and when I told him it was delicious, he said “Cook say you take a lot of pepper...” and I looked past him to see several grinning guys peering out of the kitchen in our direction!
A few years back, my wife gave me a big bunch of dried peppers strung together with string, the thing was a mass of peppers, not hot, with a lovely taste that reminded me of dried tomatoes.
I used to just walk by, break one off and chew on it, they weren’t hot at all.
Well, one day I broke one off and began chewing, and I could immediately tell that pepper was not the same as the others, and the fire built slowly, but very strong.
I began to gasp for breath, my face felt like it was red, and my entire head, face, scalp, and everything inside it down to about my shoulders felt like it was on fire.
I was all alone in the house, and began to feel very apprehensive...there was nobody to help me. I did all the usual things, drinking milk, ice, just putting my entire mouth under the kitchen faucet, but it was a looooong time before I felt the heat begin to leave. I was actually panting.
After that, the days of piling an unknown pepper in my mouth came to an end. Unless I know exactly what it is, I nibble a little piece off the end...:)
That was not a pleasant experience...I felt like I was going to suffocate because I couldn’t take a breath!
He gave me a toothpick dipped in the sauce.
I had a similar reaction.
Not even a bite of the pepper, just a lick of a toothpick and I was in agony.
I'm someone who can take *some* heat, but his was on a different plane.
Never again!
I have no idea what kind of pepper it was, but it was brutal.
No amount of beer or water could wash the pain away.