Hot, Hot, Hot Habaneros

Once a year, for a month, the best local pizza joint in town makes a special habanero chili pepper-topped pie. The habanero pepper rates around 200,000 to 300,000 units on the Scoville scale. (For perspective, a jalapeño pepper rates 2,500 to 10,000 Scoville heat units, and a serrano 10,000 to 25,000.) When you order the pizza, your table is labeled with a quarantine sign so that your dishes can be specially washed. If you order it for take-out, you are required to sign a waiver, in case your toddler or dog decides to eat the rest of your pizza while you're busy soothing your tongue with yogurt.

It arrives at the table looking very unassuming. The yellow-orange chopped peppers that are sprinkled atop the cheese could easily be mistaken for little bits of sharp cheddar. But one bite - nay, one little touch of your lips to the oils dripping from the toppings - assures you that this is a pizza adorned with REALLY, REALLY hot peppers.

On Sunday night I ate one entire slice of the "Level 1" (they make 3 levels, with Level 3 being the hottest, most intense, with the largest amount of habaneros). I ate it one bite at a time, with plenty of beer to wash down the peppery oils. It was plenty. Eat much more, and I hear you are still feeling it the next day...on the other end.


24/29.
23 to go.