According to American behavioral psychologist Dr Paul Rozin, eating chili is a form of benign masochism. “We eat chilies, for the same reason that we ride roller coasters and watch horror films: to fool the body into thinking it’s in danger, and then enjoy the adrenal ride.”
If this is true, then we Malaysians are a masochistic lot !! Why else do we subject ourselves to such extreme pain for an experience that isn’t logically pleasurable?
Drenching in sweat, lips burning, stomach churning, tearing and nose running characterize a condition called Pungency Addiction Syndrome (PAS) but who’s complaining? PAS gives us a rush and we love it.

Nothing like a bowl of  hot and fiery Thai Tom Yam soup that’s laden with bird’s eye chiliesto give you the ultimate adrenal ride. Interestingly, this tiny chili packs quite a lot of heat and was once listed as the hottest chili in the Guniness Book Of World Records, registering 50,000-100,000 Scoville units .

Here’s a recipe to share

THAI TOM YAM SOUP

Ingredients

• 400 gms medium prawns
• 200 gms squid (cut into rings)
• 150 gms oyster mushrooms
• 100 gms baby corn (quarter-cut lengthwise)
• 3 tomatoes (quartered)
• 4 cups prawn / chicken stock
• Salt and sugar to taste
• 2 stalks lemon grass, bruised
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 4 fresh birds-eye chillies (cili padi)
• Lime juice to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 2 onions cut into rings
• 2 tablespoon tom yam paste (can be obtained from supermarkets)

Method

Shell and devein prawns. (The heads and shells can be boiled to make prawn stock)

Bring to boil 5 cups prawn / chicken stock. Add all the above ingredients (except prawns, squid, lime juice & coriander leaves) and simmer till baby corn and mushroom are cooked.

Add prawns and squid and simmer for three minutes, or just until prawns and squid are cooked.

Stir in lime juice to taste, making it nicely piquant. Serve sprinkled with coriander leaves

Enjoy!

FUN CHILI FACTS

1. Chili peppers are most closely related to the eggplant.

2. Chili peppers taste hot because they contain Capsaicin.

3. Birds are unaffected by the heat of chili peppers.

4. Chili peppers reduce skin irritation.

5. Bhut jolokia (a.k.a. ghost chili) is currently recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the hottest chili pepper

6. Roasting sweetens the flavor of chili peppers.

7. The Tabasco pepper is named after a town in Mexico and has a Scoville rating of 30,000-50,000 units.

8. Drinking milk is the best way to cool down your mouth after eating a hot chili.

And a chili quote to share!

“Next to music there is nothing that lifts the spirits and strengthens the soul more than a good bowl of chili.” Anonymous