Kristofer Blennow wrote: I have a question to all you super-hardened industrial strength chile heads. Can you still appreciate subtle food, like a mild fish dish? Yes. I consider myself a medium CH, I can't eat raw habs, but raw medium heat capsicums, Jalapeņos, even some Thai. I think Tabasco is quite mild, and the few times I wish I could pour it. I don't keep a pocket container with chile. I do pour hot sauce if available on boring restaurant lunches, but I never "destroy" good subtle food with chile. I seldom eat raw habs by themselves. (But diced, pickled habs in an omelet with a little Monterey jack is just great.) *SLAP* - OUCH! Sorry... It seems to me that eating hot food regularly almost makes me even more sensitive to the subtleties of mild food. What are your experiences? Kristofer I tend to agree with you, as long as one is not pushing one's limit (i.e. the pain level is not too high). My own taste for heat varies with my mood, phase of the moon, and arrangement of the outer planets. It varies from a almost none to CH's 5-alarm. However, I am most typically in the CH 2 to 3-alarm mood. For many foods, especially those that already have a nice sauce, I prefer to use mildly-smoked habanero granules, or, for liquids (e.g. soups), a dilution of PureCap -- rather than prepared sauces. The reason is that these do not much disguise the taste of the foods, as sauces may, and I like the delayed heat reaction. Aside from the heat, both habanero and PureCap lend their own mild flavor. Now for other foods, like steaks, I do use sauces selected for specific purpose. At times I do go a bit overboard, but my buds haven't burned out -- yet. Overboard ?! - like when I'm with another CH and we comparing spices and sauces!! (What? no sweat yet? --> then spread the habanero paste on a little thicker and sprinkle a little Death Rain on top for good measure.) Andy Barnhart quark@erols.com