British Expats - Spicy food

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- - Spicy food (https://britishexpats.com/forum/usa-57/spicy-food-763017/)

It seems here in Phoenix valley area there are plenty of 'Mexican style' dishes in plenty of 'restaurant style' buildings...

... And my Hispanic co-workers claim they are mostly pooh. Not at all authentic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryTheSpider (Post 10143368)

Thats what my wife said when we went on holiday to Mexico....

Apparently no-one can make real Mexican food like the Texans.....even the Mexicans! :confused:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anian (Post 10142923)

I hate it when places add so much spice that you can't taste the food over the burning tongue sensation. Spice is supposed to add some flavour, not cover it up.

Get yourself a bottle of Sriracha. Problem solved.

I certainly find it a lot tamer here. Most of the Indian restaurants here, the heat is only just noticeable...
There's a decent Thai place for lunch near my work and I have to tell them to make it extra hot for me. They do pack a decent punch though.

I'm all over spicy food, but agree about the needless heat that destroy's tastebuds. In the UK I avoid Vindaloo for that reason, it's normally done in such a way you just can't taste it. I love spicy food, but I like to be able to actually taste what I'm eating.

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Originally Posted by Bink (Post 10144918)

In the UK I avoid Vindaloo for that reason, it's normally done in such a way you just can't taste it.

I too avoided Vindaloo. It perhapse displays the difference more than anything, in the UK it is known for its crazy heat, but in the US, it seems to be known for its vinergariness.

(Anyone had a Vindaloo in Portugal? I wonder what they have to say about it)

The very first time I had a vindaloo was in Vegas a couple of weeks ago - in the knowledge that it would most likely be tame, which it was! Yes, as I say, food should be naturally spicy/hot, not artificially spiced up for the sake of it.

That's why I like Thai food - ground chillies for the red/green Thai curries, but there's so much other flavour in there that heat is just a part of the whole experience.

Funny how British food is supposed to be bland.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdobePinon (Post 10141280)

Thai may be your best bet for spicy. But they often refuse to serve it that way even if you ask. Indian is almost never spicy here. Fortunately, New Mexican food can be extremely spicy. :)

I agree - Thai is your best bet if you want a guaranteed hit. Ask for 'Prik Nam Pla' - if it's a decent Thai restaurant, they will make it fresh - chop up some fiery small chillies and put them in a mixture of Fish Sauce and Lime Juice. You can add that to anything and blow your head off. If you are a bit sensitive to the Fish Sauce (I love it now but it can be a bit weird) just drain the chillies.

http://birdchili.wordpress.com/2009/...hai-condiment/

Some Mexican / Southwestern places here in Scottsdale will offer a roasted chilli on the side, or if you are lucky will just serve one with your dish. The picture below is from one of my favorite places in Cave Creek (just north of Scottsdale) called El Encanto. The dish itself is a very unusual combo that includes lamb, of all things. Absolutely fantastic!

Edit to add - I recently discovered a new spice at a very authentic Szechuan (Sichuan?) place in Pleasant Hill, CA. The spice is the most unusual thing I've tasted in decades (and I go out of my way to find new flavors all the time). This stuff numbs the tongue and triggers you to salivate in a very, very odd way at first - but as you eat more, you start loving it. Was banned in the US for some time, but this place is importing them and using them. Absolutely amazing stuff!

One guy on this page describes it as follows ... "It's like that sensation you get testing a nine volt battery with your tongue, combined with weird waves of numbness, hyper-saltiness, buzzing, and all kinds of other things fighting for control of your taste buds"

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/chin...peppercorn.htm

The restaurant in Pleasant Hill is Sichuan Fortune House, and is one of the best Chinese restaurants I've ever been to! Second picture below is one of my favorite dishes there - can't remember the name, but it's deep fried intestines ( :) ) with lots o' chillies, both dried and fresh, with of course the Chinese Peppercorns ... It's restaurants like this that convince me I can never leave the Bay Area ...

All of my curries are home-made these days. I've given up on the restaurants.

However, I developed quite a thing for Mexican and Tex-Mex while in Texas, and a decent place can usually be found in most cities. Of course, it's usually based on jalapenos and serranos, but it has a good kick. It's not the same, but good Mexican is better than terrible Indian :D