Give me spicy hot deliciousness!

November 28, 2012 9:57 AM

What spicy treats have I missed out on?

I had my first Sambusa today and couldn't believe I've missed out on them all my life. It's a deliciously spicy, meat-filled Somalian Samosa-type food. What other spicy treats might I be missing out on?

posted by Sal and Richard to food & drink (22 answers total)

Kim Chee?
Prince's Hot Chicken?
Hunan Food?

Hard to say, what are some of the things you've eaten in the past that turn you on?
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 10:01 AM on November 28, 2012

That sounds awesome. Have you tried its cousin, the Jamaican beef patty? It's pretty much just junk food most times (although delicious), but if you can find a place that makes their own, oof! that's good.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 10:03 AM on November 28, 2012

Bakpao is sometimes filled with spicy meat.
posted by neushoorn at 10:05 AM on November 28, 2012

Ooh ooh see this AskMe!
posted by Specklet at 10:13 AM on November 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

Go to ethnic stores and ask the people who work there.
For some reason, the first thing that popped into my head is these Indian Cheeto-like things that instead of cheese powder have a spicy curry powder.
posted by chickenmagazine at 10:21 AM on November 28, 2012

There's the whole world of instant ramen that comes in hot and spicy flavors. Junk food, sure, but if you already eat regular instant ramen then this is a nice upgrade.

If you have an Asian grocery store nearby you can find them there, or if you're lucky you might also find some in the Asian Foods aisle of your regular supermarket. I like the Shin Cup personally, but there are lots of others (that website has a ton of reviews).
posted by cabingirl at 10:23 AM on November 28, 2012

I eat a lot of packets of Indian food. I don't know precisely what it is about Indian food, but, instead of making my mouth feel like it is being incinerated, instead I just start sweating like a maniac. Which I love, and is apparently the point of spicy food.

I especially recommend packets of Pindi Chana -- spiced Chick Peas. Kitchens of India has an especially good one. Man, I sweat when I eat that. The Mashed Vegetable curry is quite spicy as well, although my favorite of the collection is Rajma Masala, the red kidney bean curry. Just delicious.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 10:25 AM on November 28, 2012

I suddenly loved very spicy hot food after I quit smoking. I suggest trying lots of hot sauces -- so many! so many good ones! Don't miss out on Rooster Sauce! -- on lots of food.

Also, be brave and order 5 star level of spice in ethnic restaurants. Insist you really want it very, very spicy.

Consider making your own ethnic food, e.g. Indian food, using fresh spices from local ethnic stores. Everything will be delicious. Also, cook with hot peppers. There are a huge variety, and they zing everything into joyous flavor.

A wonderful world of heat and flavor lies ahead -- enjoy!
posted by bearwife at 10:26 AM on November 28, 2012

As a snack, wasabi covered green peas are excellent. Find them in the asian section of your grocery store (often in a small metal tin) or sometimes in the generic bulk packaged snacks that are often near the produce section.
posted by machinecraig at 10:30 AM on November 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

By the way, if you go out to eat at Indian restaurants (as well as other restaurants that serve food from Asia), they may ask you how hot you want it, with a numbered scale. I have found that I can tolerate the highest heat at most places, unless they grow their own chilis. If they do, the hottest food they offer is overwhelming. I ate once at a place named Gandhi Mahal that offered food so spicy that I hallucinated for a while.

You're going to have to determine how much heat you can take. And, as you eat spicy food, you may find that both your tolerance and your craving increase. Many restaurants (especially in the midwest) have been burned by customers who ask for spicy food and then send it back because it's too spicy, so they tend to err on the side of blandness. I find if it isn't spicy enough, a few doses of chili sauce will get it up to where I want, although there is a risk of it changing the flavor of the meal, so make sure you like chili sauce, or there is a brand you like (almost everybody carries Sriracha right now, as an example.)

Off the topic of Asian foods, one of my favorite snacks when I lived in Los Angeles was fruit coated with lime juice and cayenne pepper powder, which you could buy from street vendors. It's easy to make at home as well. Pineapple is especially good.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 10:33 AM on November 28, 2012

Yeah, spicy snacks come in so many different varieties and flavours, it's difficult to know what you prefer. Our favourite Indian restaurant brings out pappadums with two different kinds of sauce. One is a spicy tamarind sauce that's warm, sweet and spicy tasting. The other is a jalapeno and coriander sauce that's vegetal, bright and spicy tasting. I personally love the jalapeno and coriander sauce.
posted by LN at 10:37 AM on November 28, 2012

If you are culinarily inclined, Key Lime Habenero Cheesecake.

The massive hunk of milk fat that is cheesecake dramatically alleviates the otherwise intense spiciness of habenero allowing even ordinary people to enjoy their delicious sweet flavor.

Some notes:

Take the gloves seriously - going to the bathroom after handling habeneros is a mistake no one ever makes twice,

Roast the peppers before hand for a nicer flavor and less spiciness,

Make a more standard crumb crust than the recipe calls for - the chocolate is excessive

posted by Blasdelb at 10:38 AM on November 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

Chilli spiced olives. Oh yeah baby.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:42 AM on November 28, 2012

Just get thee to an Indian grocery store and try all of the little packets of snack food.
posted by goethean at 11:14 AM on November 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

In the past, I didn't understand ultra-spicy food. Friends tortured themselves with "suicide" or "napalm" spicy wings while I watched dumbfounded. Stuff slathered in hot sauce seemed too vinegary and blistering to enjoy.

Then I had a Korean pork dish called bulgogi. Although I was flush, sweating, and my mouth was burning more that it ever had, I couldn't stop eating. So good!
posted by Boxenmacher at 11:17 AM on November 28, 2012

If you like wasabi peas, DEFINITELY seek out Sriracha peas!
posted by Freyja at 12:02 PM on November 28, 2012

Sriracha on everything
posted by empath at 12:10 PM on November 28, 2012

Lime pickles, bun bo hue.
posted by tatiana131 at 12:14 PM on November 28, 2012

Dried chile mangos. Possibly my favorite food EVER.
posted by WidgetAlley at 12:24 PM on November 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

This sounds tame compared to others' posts, but I really like the spicy Indonesian Peanut Sautee' at Noodles and Company. It's hot enough that I feel it, and it has a peanut kick too.
posted by tacodave at 2:51 PM on November 28, 2012

Do you mean 'treat' as in snack, or just general out-of-the-ordinary special food? If you can get yourself to some Sichuan food - that, my friend, is some spice. It's peppery hot and (usually) doused in chilli oil, so it's not for the faint hearted. I had my first experience just today and holy cow, I don't know how anything will ever taste as fantastic.

Maybe also because I think I burned off some taste buds in the process.
posted by undue influence at 7:19 AM on November 29, 2012

I was just given some wasabi almonds and they are terrific.
posted by Cygnet at 9:32 AM on November 29, 2012