Extremely hot 9 – 10

To begin with, dishes such as goulash and chili con carne were very popular and were made to be very spicy. But it didn’t take long until dishes from India, Mexico, Asia and other regions began to become better known and more popular; these were then made with the traditional spices from the respective countries. Tabasco was the first liquid sauce to establish itself on the market and make its way on to the supermarket shelves. Just a few years later, it was followed by a number of extremely hot chili sauces for roast meat. A few sceptics claimed that extremely hot sauces and spice powders would rob these national dishes of their distinctive flavours. Another widely accepted belief was that to much spice could damage your taste buds. Little by little, the extremely hot chili sauces began to celebrate their victory march, the sceptics fell silent and it emerged that people who regularly ate hot food over a number of years did not report any negative effect on their sense of taste whatsoever.

Do extremely hot chili sauces destroy a meal’s flavour?

It goes without saying that extremely hot chili sauces will overpower any mild flavours in a meal. It is therefore naturally advisable not to add extremely hot seasoning to a dish if you love its mild flavours. Hot spices and sauces are designed for use in cooking spicy recipes, which says it all really.

Chili sauces rated 9-10 are not for beginners

People who have not yet had much experience with hot chili sauces and have therefore not accustomed themselves to a certain degree of spiciness should stay away from products with a spice rating of 9-10. Even spice connoisseurs will use these intense spice levels sparingly and with consideration. Chili sauces rated 9-10 are only a hellish delight for real experts. Even low dosages of chili sauces with a spice rating or 9 or 10 can cause extreme amounts of pain for untrained chili eaters. Yes, that’s right. However, it is indeed possible to train your tolerance of spicy foods. Just like with weight training, where you start with the smallest dumbbells, so too should you start with the lower levels of spice.

Our recommendation

We only recommend trying products rated 9-10 once you have gathered some experience with spicy food ranging from at 5-7 on the spice scale and find this pleasantly tolerable. You should work your way up to this degree of spiciness slowly. Only use very small amounts to begin with. However, if the heat still seems intolerable for you, you can alleviate the spicy heat in your mouth relatively quickly with fatty food and drink, such as milk for example.