|
Dateline : October 2012
TIKKA MASSALA REMAINS BRITAIN'S FAVOURITE FOOD BUT
THREE QUARTERS OF US CAN'T COOK IT&ldots;
Despite Tikka Masala holding on to its title of
'Britain's favourite dish,' beating off competition from British
classics including Toad in the Hole and Cottage Pie, three-quarters
of us (75%) have never attempted to cook the much-loved curry, a new
survey* by The Spice Tailor has found.
Indian food may already be a British institution, but
Brits are not at ease with cooking our favourite food, it seems. The
survey, marking the launch of National Curry Week 2012, found that
75% of us have never taken on a Tikka Masala, a shocking 81% can't
cook a Korma whilst 83% have yet to tackle a Rogan Josh. And when it
comes to impressing friends and family, only a quarter of us (26%)
have put curry on the dinner party menu compared to 53% who regularly
impress with British and Italian cooking. Despite this, it seems we
aren't prepared to admit our ineptness in the 'curry corner' as only
a third of those surveyed (34%) admitted to feeling feel
under-confident about cooking classic Indian dishes.
Anjum Anand, TV Chef, cookery writer and founder of
The Spice Tailor says "What many people don't realise is that
you don't have to go out or dial a takeaway to enjoy Indian food. In
fact, you really can create simple, healthy and delicious Indian food
in minutes in your own kitchen! Whether you cook from scratch or use
a few cheats along the way, don't be afraid to give Indian cooking a
go; it really can be a brilliant everyday option for the whole family."
Cookalong with Anjum on 'Spice Nights', when Anjum
will be showing how to cook simple and delicious Indian dishes in
just 15 minutes, using some cheats and lots of scratch cooking. Spice
Nights airs weekly on Tuesday evenings at 730pm from now until 6th
November. Register to watch at www.thespicetailor.com
Dateline : October 2012
The bhut jolokia from India’s Assam state, once
the world’s hottest chilli, has some competition now. The
Bedfordshire Super Naga is reportedly the hottest commercially grown
chilli pepper in Britain. Labelled “The Hottest” and
“Super Super Hot”, the chilli pepper comes with a warning,
“Do not touch without gloves”, the Daily Mail reported.
Salvatore Genovese, a 40-year-old farmer, produces
500,000 such chilli peppers every week. A chilli pepper’s heat
is measured in Scoville units, and Genovese’s Super Naga
measures 1.12 million Scovilles. The warning, in full block capital
letters, also says: “Skin irritant. Avoid contact with eyes.
Wash hands thoroughly after preparation to avoid irritation.”
Inside the packet, the guidelines read: “Use with caution.
Ideally used in Bangladeshi dishes, its scorching heat combined with
a distinctive fruity aroma makes it the chilli of choice for cooks
wanting a new experience.”
A chilli buyer said fans will love the Bedfordshire
Super Naga as it has a “wonderful fruity flavour” to match
its searing heat level. “The heat builds slowly allowing you to
savour the full flavour. It’s very deceptive because it takes a
good 30 seconds for the heat to really start working and then it
continues to build for a few minutes,” he said
Dateline : April 2011
NEW WORLD'S HOTTEST CHILLI CLAIM
The fiery 'Trinidad Scorpion Butch T' claims to
register 1,463,700 Scoville heat units, placing it ahead of the
current 'hottest chilli' leader recognised by Guinness World Records,
the Naga Viper, which comes in at 1,382,118. The previous record was
the Bhut Jolokia at 1,041,427. By way of contrast the everyday
Jalapenos measure about 2500-5000 and the hottest Tabasco is 30,000.
"They're just severe, absolutely severe,"
says Marcel de Wit, The Chilli Factory co-owner. "No wonder they
start making crowd-control grenades now with chillies. It's just wicked."
The chilli is so scorching that Marcel and his team
have to wear protective gear when handling the new variety. "If
you don't wear gloves your hands will be pumping heat for two days
later," he says.
The chillies primarily end up as a basis for a hot
sauce, where the chillies still pack a punch.
"We went to Melbourne to cook our first batch of
the sauce, the Scorpion Strike, we all had to wear full chemical
masks and suit-up with full protection suits and gloves to cook these
up." Marcel says. "Imagine, when you start cooking with it
- those fumes that come out of the pot."
Marcel began cultivating the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T
two years ago after Neil Smith, who runs The Hippy Seed Company, gave
him one of the new chillies to try. "He said, 'Taste this.' We
cut it up and we cooked it and - oh, it was so severe."
Neil constantly builds on his seed collection with new
varieties from all over the world. But rather than just on-selling
seeds to buyers, Neil first plants them on his Central Coast property
to learn about the crops they generate. |
