I was not sure where to post this info. Home remedies, tall tales, or humor. It would fit in all three catagories.
Boy! Do I have a way to clear those sinuses!
I don't recall if I related the saga of the "Ghost Chile" project. It started right at a year ago, when Robert, my lunatic, "across-the-street" neighbor,drove up and asked if I had heard of pepper called a ghost chile. I hadn't, and he informed me that he had heard that it was twice as hot as the Red Savena habanero. And would I find some seed, and start some plants for him. ( I have the neighborhood greenhouse)
After a long search, I finally found seed at The Chile Institute, a part of New Mexico university. They cost fifty cents apiece! I ordered 20 seeds. (And recieved 26 seeds.)
Everything I found on the cultivation of Bhut Jolokia (Their proper name) said they were very difficult to grow. And they damned sure are!
I planted them in late January, and they didn't come up until March. In late Spring, when I set out the other peppers that I had planted at the same time, they were about an inch and a half tall.
I kept babying them along, but about 30% died, no matter how well they were cared for. We ended up with 16, which we split 50/50. I planted mine in my back garden and all eight survived, but just would not flourish.
He planted his in big pots, and half of them died. He gave two of the survivors to his son, who has a greenhouse in his livingroom. The son has Red Savina plants and Caribbeanan red plants, that are several years old. None of us even had blooms until about three weeks ago, when mine finally came to life.
Four of the eight are now,nearly five feet tall, and covered with blooms and fruit.
A few days ago, I picked two of the biggest fruits, and took them over to Robert's, where he holds court, at his daily beer bust. The crowd parted as I walked up to Robert's throne. He is a legend in local chile pepper eating circles. I laid them before him, on the picnic table, and immedietly whipped out his big Shrade pocket knife, sliced one in half lengthwise, cut one half into thirds, and popped a third into his mouth.
Those of us in the crowd who are chili heads were agog! This chile is over one point two million scovilles! The red savina is less than 500,000, and it has been touted as the hottest chile exsisting for many years!
We intently watched his face as he cheerfuly chomped away. "Good flavor" said he. Then his face darkened, and he took off his hat. "Oh s**t, I may have f****d up, he said, as the sweat coursed off the top of his head and down his nose. I think sweat was running out of his ears. The tears started. He staggered to his feet, and went to get another cold beer.
While he was gone, I cut one of the thirds into quarters, and ate one quarter, about a 3/8 inch square. Great Gobs of Gallopin' Goose Grease! It was like chewing on a red hot rivet fresh from the forge!
It is indeed the hottest pepper I have EVER eaten! He kept commenting on the mellow after taste. I somehow missed that. It may have occured during the period of unconsciousness.
We were the only ones to even attempt to eat any of it, and between us we ate about a third of a chile 2 1/2 inches, by 3/4 of an inch.. Robert ate most of that third. Everyone else just made comments on our intelligence, and laughed at our twitching unconscious forms. (If we weren't both so beat up(and Robert is pushing 80), I think we should have wrestled them to the ground and give them ghost chile suppositories!)
But I digress. After eating my miniscule portion of ghost chile, my head was clear as a bell. I had been stuffed up for weeks. My ( almost permanent) earache even went away for a few hours. The initial atomic blast just lasted a few minutes(Although, it was an intense few minutes) and the relief lasted over a day.
Seriously, I wonder if the is a way to harness the relief, without the pain. I have pretty good tolerance to hot food, but many people don't. If somehow the clearing could be effected without the heat, it could bring relief to millions!
Boy! Do I have a way to clear those sinuses!
I don't recall if I related the saga of the "Ghost Chile" project. It started right at a year ago, when Robert, my lunatic, "across-the-street" neighbor,drove up and asked if I had heard of pepper called a ghost chile. I hadn't, and he informed me that he had heard that it was twice as hot as the Red Savena habanero. And would I find some seed, and start some plants for him. ( I have the neighborhood greenhouse)
After a long search, I finally found seed at The Chile Institute, a part of New Mexico university. They cost fifty cents apiece! I ordered 20 seeds. (And recieved 26 seeds.)
Everything I found on the cultivation of Bhut Jolokia (Their proper name) said they were very difficult to grow. And they damned sure are!
I planted them in late January, and they didn't come up until March. In late Spring, when I set out the other peppers that I had planted at the same time, they were about an inch and a half tall.
I kept babying them along, but about 30% died, no matter how well they were cared for. We ended up with 16, which we split 50/50. I planted mine in my back garden and all eight survived, but just would not flourish.
He planted his in big pots, and half of them died. He gave two of the survivors to his son, who has a greenhouse in his livingroom. The son has Red Savina plants and Caribbeanan red plants, that are several years old. None of us even had blooms until about three weeks ago, when mine finally came to life.
Four of the eight are now,nearly five feet tall, and covered with blooms and fruit.
A few days ago, I picked two of the biggest fruits, and took them over to Robert's, where he holds court, at his daily beer bust. The crowd parted as I walked up to Robert's throne. He is a legend in local chile pepper eating circles. I laid them before him, on the picnic table, and immedietly whipped out his big Shrade pocket knife, sliced one in half lengthwise, cut one half into thirds, and popped a third into his mouth.
Those of us in the crowd who are chili heads were agog! This chile is over one point two million scovilles! The red savina is less than 500,000, and it has been touted as the hottest chile exsisting for many years!
We intently watched his face as he cheerfuly chomped away. "Good flavor" said he. Then his face darkened, and he took off his hat. "Oh s**t, I may have f****d up, he said, as the sweat coursed off the top of his head and down his nose. I think sweat was running out of his ears. The tears started. He staggered to his feet, and went to get another cold beer.
While he was gone, I cut one of the thirds into quarters, and ate one quarter, about a 3/8 inch square. Great Gobs of Gallopin' Goose Grease! It was like chewing on a red hot rivet fresh from the forge!
It is indeed the hottest pepper I have EVER eaten! He kept commenting on the mellow after taste. I somehow missed that. It may have occured during the period of unconsciousness.
We were the only ones to even attempt to eat any of it, and between us we ate about a third of a chile 2 1/2 inches, by 3/4 of an inch.. Robert ate most of that third. Everyone else just made comments on our intelligence, and laughed at our twitching unconscious forms. (If we weren't both so beat up(and Robert is pushing 80), I think we should have wrestled them to the ground and give them ghost chile suppositories!)
But I digress. After eating my miniscule portion of ghost chile, my head was clear as a bell. I had been stuffed up for weeks. My ( almost permanent) earache even went away for a few hours. The initial atomic blast just lasted a few minutes(Although, it was an intense few minutes) and the relief lasted over a day.
Seriously, I wonder if the is a way to harness the relief, without the pain. I have pretty good tolerance to hot food, but many people don't. If somehow the clearing could be effected without the heat, it could bring relief to millions!