Re: [CH] Tabasco Sauce (tm)

Jeff Thompson (jeffthompson@mac.com)
Wed, 28 Mar 2001 10:33:47 -0500 

Oh I agree on the cross pollination horrors of different varieties. But
getting hot peppers instead of mild ones would be just as bad as getting
mild ones instead of hot ones. Cross pollination is very bad especially when
the pollination is being done from plants which by default yield sterile
offspring. Nothing pisses me off more than trying to maintain a specific
crop only to find out the pollinated seeds are sterile thanks to some clever
genetic engineering meant to force me into buying new seeds every year. Grr.

My rants are always meant as over the top comedic exaggerations of reality.
Don't take them too seriously.

Shrimping, either imbued with peppers or not, is not my bag, baby.



> From: raelsixty4@earthlink.net
> Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 08:19:56 -0700
> To: Jeff Thompson <jeffthompson@mac.com>
> Cc: Chile-Heads@globalgarden.com
> Subject: Re: [CH] Tabasco Sauce (tm)
> 
>> 
>> <I feel a rant coming on...>
>> 
>> There seems to be a minority on the mailing list that won't eat anything but
>> habaneros: habanero salsa, habanero sauce, habanero cookies, habanero cheese
>> cake, habanero egg salad, habanero ice creame, habanero stuffed habanero
>> with habanero cream cheese and a side order of habanero dipping sauce served
>> with a chilled glass of habanero cabernet... habanero, habanero, habanero,
>> habanero. It's like that Monty Python SPAM sketch. While I respect the heat
>> of the noble hab, I also like other pepper flavors and heat levels too.
>> 
>> I got a huge rash-of-shit when I asked about the heat-less jalapenos. You'd
>> think I'd walked into a Southern Baptist convention and suggested that Jesus
>> was an alien (not my metaphor, I borrowed it from a friend). I thought this
>> was the chile-head board, not the habanero-head board. Isn't the point of
>> this group to discuss all things chile?
>> 
>> A lot of people say they don't like the taste of jalapenos, or Tabasco, or
>> that mild peppers are evil, ok fine, that's your opinion, well here's my
>> next blasphemy: I think habaneros taste like feet, and nasty unclean
>> fungus-y feet at that. Their only saving grace is their heat. The flavor is
>> fine when used to augment or contrast other flavors, but by themselves
>> they're just plain nasty.
> 
> Personally, *most* feet, if properly washed, scrubbed, and ministered
> to, taste quite yummy!  Of course, I've a penchant towards shrimping
> myself, so...
> 
> But anyway - when I replied to the question about heatless jalapenos,
> my intent was to <1> express my horror at the idea of a jalapeno
> (which by it's very nature is "hot") being non-hot, and <2> express
> such in a humorous way.  I may have failed on both counts.  But that
> was to avoid getting into a discussion of why people, IMO, should
> shun chiles (or any seeds/plants) that could hypothetically wreak
> havoc upon existing "true" varieties of chiles.
> 
> My case in point would not be a heatless jalapeno, it would be that
> of GMO corn varieties, such as StarLink corn.  Such varieties require
> strict growing measures to "ensure" genetic drift does not occur.
> Unfortunately, the ONLY way to ensure there is no genetic drift from
> ANY variety of plant is to completely isolate it (assuming one can
> isolate a plant 100%) or even better, disallow such plant/seed to
> grow in the first place.
> 
> But why get into such a rant?  If one desires no-heat jalapenos, I
> would ask if one has not tried various types of bell pepper?  I find
> the taste, and particularly the aftertaste, of bells and jalapenos to
> be very similar, i.e. i'm not particularly fond of either.  The
> bottem line to many of these situations concerning flora/fauna is
> while XXX may be possible, is XXX worth the risk it may pose to
> Nature in general?  Are the "lives" of few worth the "lives" of many?
> (apply this to plants, animals, and more).
> 
> I would say no.  In fact, I demand such.
> 
> But drifting back to CH Land...now *roasted* jalapenos and bell
> peppers, well, we're talkin' a different talk, mon...that's good
> eatin'...
> 
> Lastly (promise), as to one's personal choices/desires, my viewpoint
> has always been and forever will be: do as one wants with my
> blessings...until it may interfere with *my* life (or anyone elses
> life) and/or if it ain't consensual to all concerned.  Put it this
> way: if I'm growing my serranos (which are actually my favorite chile
> - habs, scotch bonnets, and others all following, yes) and somehow,
> someway over generations they seem to be loosing their heat, and I
> discover someone has been growing "heatless chiles" nextdoor, well, I
> can guarantee that late at night, disaster will strike my neighbors
> chiles...probably in the form of a flamethrower.
> 
> It's sorta like while one may have the liberty to walk around his/her
> property naked as momma made ya, you may be visually offensive to
> neighbors, thus you build a fence or don some garments...or do like
> me and wander around nekkid late at night...looking for heatless
> chile patches to torch...
> 
> Time for class....all in good humor...and as has been this old Monk's
> experience, while some flamin' do occur on this list, CH's are by
> *far* the most tolerant, good-natured, and humourous folks about...
> 
> 
> Peace, Hendrix, and Chiles.......
> 
> Rael64