-=> Quoting Hughkearnley@btinternet.c to All <=-

 FIDONET MEMORIES
 Date: Sept. 09. 2000  12:02
 From: Bob Breed
 
 I was just reading a very interesting article about 'hot stuff.'
 
 Pepper hotness is rated in Scoville units, a measure of the
 capsaicin content. (The hotness alkaloid.)
 
 A bell pepper is rated at zero, pure capsaicin is 16 million.
 (Ya don't want that stuff, for sure.)
 
 Most off-the-shelf hot sauces range from a mean of about 1000
 up to the high end of 300,000.  However, there are some custom
 sauces that range up to 1.5 million or so. These sell at about
 50 bucks an ounce and have names such as Armageddon, Spontaneous
 Combustion, Acid Rain, Brain Damage, and Great Bowels of Fire.
 (Ya have to love that one.)
 
 The one considered the very hottest is called Da' Bomb and is
 sold with a warning label saying brain damage may occur.
 
 Capsaicin Alkaoloids attach to nerve endings in the tongue that
 detect heat. You can get the same effect by sticking your hand
 into a flame, and the bodies reaction is much the same - it
 often causes an irregular heartbeat and breathing. Your body
 temp will go down, you'll sweat, digestion speeds up and then
 the body will generate endorphins, natures calmer.   (And
 that's the big reason folks take this stuff, the rush is like
 a cocaine high - so they say.)
 
 BTW, they say the amount of 'Da Bomb on the end of a toothpick
 can make death seem like a good option.
 
 
 Some benchmarks:  (Scoville units)
 
 
 Bell Pepper........0
 Jalapenos......5,000
 Tabasco.......50,000
 Thai Chilies.100,000
 Habaneros....300,000
 
 
 Bout time for the chili tasting contest letter again.
 
 Wonder how those good ole bubba boys would do with a
 bit of 'Da Bomb thrown in the pot?

... The weather forcast:  chili today, hot tamale.
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