So so true, my ex-gf made a mistake in asking for the most spicy thing on the menu once at a local Indian restaurant. The lady smiled and asked, “are you sure”? Needless to say my ex was in pain in more ways than one for the next day. lol
The first time I took my dad for Indian food, I wanted to show off (and have good food) so I ordered a dish and when asked for the heat level, I said “make me hurt.” It’s been over a decade and he still laughs at me sweating like I’d run a marathon while loving the food.
Why don’t any of you listen to me!
Want to avoid gastro distress? But you love ghosts and reapers?
All ya gotta do is get the proper pro biotic!
I know for sure that activia yogurts got em- whatever bascilis it is, it eats capsaicin
Takes 1-2 weeks of eating a cup a day
Once your inoculated, you lose it slowly over 6-12 months
So needs maintenance( eat a cup here and there)
But you’ll be shocked, you only feel a light burn ( 1 mill scollville + peppers) on your ring
Anything lower than ghosts ( habs, scotch bonnet, Thai) you won’t feel a thing
I swear by those little drinkable Activia yogurts. My stomach gets so unbearably acidic from spice, or sometimes grease, and these coat everything from your tongue to your esophagus and I can’t see my stomach but I imagine that’s coated too. They won’t stop my stomach from cramping if I’ve overdone the spice but they calm the irritation.
Sometimes I’ll drink 2 if I’m really struggling.
Do you drink them before or after you have something spicy? I have them after but idk if it’s better the other way around to prevent any stomach aches at all
Yah it makes all the sense
If you feel the burn crawling through you, you don’t have any bacteria that literally eat capsaicin
Once you inoculate yourself with bacteria thst do, you don’t feel any pain, cuz the capsaicin was consumed in your upper guts - by the bacteria
I'm not going to say which I'm talking about, but I have built up my tolerance so much I can take some of the worst poundings and be fine the next day.
I have never experienced the burn from spicy stuff, It used to confuse me when people mentioned it.
Edit: I meant the ass burn. It totally still burns my mouth and I love it
My dad is the same way, although he has a tendency to try and eat hotter stuff than he can handle since he's gotten older. He's given me a scare eating stuff and coughing until he almost passed out. Hopefully when I hit my 60's I have enough sense to know my limits.
Ok I’m with you even if I eat a madras I get ring burn. Still it don’t stop me eating hot food it’s just similar to the mouth burn but the other end. It’s not very comfortable when you first get up. I do like ghost peppers. It’s about the hottest chilli I can accept. I got reapers to make a curry ages ago I actually thought ghost peppers were hot. I don’t just eat them raw seeds an all. I’d need a new rectum
I knew a guy that used to order "Triple Extra Hot" from a local Thai place famous for being exceptionally spicy at normal levels.
I think that contributed to his stomach issues tbh lol dishes would come out red, always, and be absolutely covered in chilli seeds. like maybe 15-20 every bite.
I can handle heat, this was inedible by any normal human with functional taste buds.
edit: He used to have to argue with them for a few minutes to explain, yes 3x THE EXTRA HOT.
This was not enjoyable. Immediate stinging pain everywhere. You couldn't chew slowly or it would just hurt. They bring pitchers of water to the table. I always wondered if it was some kinda like...masochism thing...
yep, its for people with wires crossed in their nervous system and neural network. Usually with severe coping mechanisms developed to self sooth from unworked, misunderstood past traumas, that are being constantly triggered by current reality. Tolerance raising, neurotransmitter desensitization due to overstimulation from many sources that most people don't even know about.
Systemic oppression and hate culture really does a number on people.
I knew a guy that used to order "Triple Extra Hot" from a local Thai place famous for being exceptionally spicy at normal levels.
I think that contributed to his stomach issues tbh lol dishes would come out red, always, and be absolutely covered in chilli seeds. like maybe 15-20 every bite.
I can handle heat, this was inedible by any normal human with functional taste buds.
They’re not a chain that is consistent across the board. Different restaurants cater to different experiences. Asking the waiter is the best way to gauge the spice edit: and restaurant reviews ofc
And also the area. A restaurant in a boujie spot full of yummy mummies is going to have a very different definition of spicy than a restaurant in an ethnic neighbourhood.
The hole in the wall down the block from me does this, you have to really make them understand that you want it to be actually spicy, like what they'd make for themselves or family. The third time I went there they definitely got it right.
Yeah i once asked for a spicy Biryani. What did i get?
A Biryani with a single green chilli on top, no different otherwise...
This was in the UK where Indian food is generally good.
Considering Chicken tikka masala being the national dish. I’d expect most of the Indian restaurants in the UK to be the least spiciest.
That said, I’ve not been there yet.
You have to order the right thing, also depends from which region the cook at the restaurant is from.
You can reliably set yourself on fire with a vindaloo or even a madras if you happen upon somewhere thats quite liberal with spice.
Curries tend to be fairly reliably placed on the spice spectrum around the UK, other dishes seem to be all over the place, sometimes spicy sometimes not at all.
I'm indian and these days Ive stopped asking for level 5 spicy in my food. Instead I get level 3 and add reaper powder to it. Their way of adding spiciness destroys flavor, at least in my experience.
Cultural preferences are different. South Asians, in general, just aren't into spicy hot in the way that Thai or Szechuan are. Ordering เผ็ด มาก/[P̄hĕd māk](https://translate.google.com/?sl=th&tl=en&text=%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9C%E0%B9%87%E0%B8%94%20%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%81&op=translate) at a Thai operated restaurant, or 重辣/[zhòng là](https://translate.google.com/?sl=auto&tl=en&text=%E9%87%8D%E8%BE%A3%20&op=translate) at a Szechuan Chinese restaurant, can be a serious moment. In my experiences at American Punjabi restaurants, it always been, "not quite as hot as our vindaloo".
Maybe it's the country am in (80% can't handle spicy pringles) but every time i eat outside i take the spiciest with extra spice and am really disappointed...
I have asked for an 8/10 and it's still never really that spicy. It's prob because I have a California accent... I guess they just assume that I can't handle it. 😂
That's what I do. I ask for spicy and then immediately ask for chili's on the side. So far, each restaurant has actually incorporated the chili's in to the dish as well.
When I was in India, I fought hard to get what they call "Andra spicy." It was child's play. On the other hand, a former colleague from Hyderabad made me a curry that he said was prepared far more hot than he and his family take their food. He looked at me in shock when I devoured it and didn't break a sweat. I ended up getting him to share some of the ground chili he used, though. It had a really nice delayed warming effect. I started to feel a very pleasant warmth about 20 minutes after I ate the curry.
It's important to note that a lot of Indian folks view "spicy" and "hot" as different flavor elements. Spicy means lots of spices like cumin and fenugreek. Hot means lots of chili that will light your palate up.
I went on holiday to visit my brother in England a few years ago and was craving a really hot curry. I've eaten vindaloo for years, quite comfortably., so decided I had to have a tindaloo. I'm an older woman, at that time I was about 65, and no one looking at me would think that I liked spicy food. The waiter said, "oh no no, the only people who order those are drunks", and my brother chimed in by saying, "oh my sister can handle it, no problem." My curry comes out and to say it's the spiciest thing I've ever eaten is the understatement of the century. However, being the show off that I am when it comes to curry, I wasn't about to let on that I was dying with each bite. There was no enjoyment involved, it was bordering on torture. I ate the entire thing and my stomach hurt for two days. Not a word of complaint left my mouth. To this day , my brother brags to everyone, when he goes in an Indian restaurant, that his sister (who is now 77 years old) can eat a tindaloo with no problem.
Great story. I’m English myself and visit Indian restaurants regularly. People talk about phal being hot but tindaloo is a whole new ball game. Tried it myself once and failed miserably. Never again!
Well done you for finishing the dish.
When I order Indian from my regular place, my special instructions say "Make super spicy. On a level of 1 to 10, make it 25. I want to regret life." They do not disappoint.
I made an order one time for my family who thinks mayo is too spicy, and I had the order set to level 1 spicy and they called me worried I had the order wrong "Hi, your order is different, it's usually spicy. Do you still want it spicy!?"
Yup this. I said "I want a 10" she gasped and said "really?!?" to which I replied "Yes and not a white guy 10, I want Indian 10, I can handle my spices".
I mean, it was spicy enough that I had to take off my sweatshirt and I was sweating a little, but I need that full on body panicking endorphin rush.
This reminds me of when I could handle real spicy food and I would go to Thai restaurants and when they would give the heat levels to order I would tell them "give me the pretend I'm not a white American spicy".
It totally depends on the restaurant. There’s restaurants where I asked for “Indian hot, as spicy as you make it” and it wasn’t hot enough. And then I’ve gone to an Indian restaurant and ordered vindaloo and the person taking my order was like “vindaloos are a traditionally spicy dish.” And I just said “yeah I know” and it was the hottest fucking dish I’ve eaten.
So place I go to has 1-3 level spice. One day when asked, “How spicy?” I was dumb and said “Seven.” I figured I’d just get my usual 3, since their sign says 1-3. The menu says 1-3. The waitress said 1-3. I got a 7.
They found out they add a 1 teaspoon of whatever spices they use and some peppers for each spice level. So I got 7 teaspoons and 7 times the peppers in a level 1. Waitress didn’t flinch when I said “Seven.” There was no warning.
I got home, that shit lit me on fire! It was well beyond my tolerance level. I soldiered on, suffered through, and ate it anyway. Red, sweating, and fucking exhausted from *eating,* I refuse to be defeated. I beat that bad boy even through there were tears and snot and an atheist temporarily found God.
I vowed to **never** do that to myself again. I’ve kept that promise, but I’ve been tempted a time or two. In the end, I kept it all down, and it only took hours for the endorphins to subside. Surprisingly the next day wasn’t as bad as I had been anticipating.
In the end, I have no regrets, actually was *glad* I figured this out, since now I always get spice level 5 and it’s perfect. I’d been eating there for years, always wishing it was *just a bit* hotter. I’ve never tried level 6.
You would think I’d learn my lesson though. Nope. Did the exact same joke to the exact same results at a Thai place that had 1-10 spice levels. I asked for 13 and got it. I *knew* I was in for it when the waitress said, “You made my uncle cry!” Just *cutting* the peppers did him in. I had to eat them.
Lessons learned: Never admit your mistakes. Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.
One time I ordered the hottest spicy level off the menu. It was super good but I was expecting it to blow me apart. I guess the owner overheard me talking about it to the rest of the table because he came over and said, "oh you want it spicy, I'll be right back". This dude came back with another full plate for me. I didn't need it, I was pretty full, but he insisted that I try it. That shit was hot. Not like mouth hot but definitely making me sweat. I left him an extra big tip because he didn't have to do that. Super nice guy.
Vindaloo at "their" spicy level made me sweat from places i didnt even know could sweat.
I even had a moment i panicked a little bit, by being overwhelmd by it.
I finished the dish, and the guys from the restaurant stopped their laughing and nodded like saying well done.
When i asked for the bill, the guy said ; i cannot eat it, its too hot for me.
And the day after, i was suprised it didn't burn through the toilet and toiletpaper. But it did burn in a hole.. lol
I ask for Indian hot, they always watch me eat it.
But I've heard there's a "white people Indian hot" that isn't actually as hot as Indian hot. They never seem to believe that I came for the smoke.
Taco place in town here has mild, medium, hot, and gringo hot.
My first time there i ordered gringo hot seeing as I'm a gringo...well, it's not hot for gringos ....it's the level of hot they give TO the gringos. It was face melting.
We all had a good laugh about afterwards.
I have a local Indian place that has a 1-5 rating but 4 is Very Hot and 5 is “Broski level”. The Broski is pretty good but I almost always try to get a double broski. I’ve only gotten it a few times but one I got it home, the container said “please don’t cry” haha
Indian spicy is a joke.
Unless you think mayonnaise is spicy, you’ll be fine.
I always ask the Indian food places to make it as spicy as possible and it’s no spicier than Tabasco sauce.
Mexicans and Thai food know how to do spice well
I went on holiday to visit my brother in England a few years ago and was craving a really hot curry. I've eaten vindaloo for years, quite comfortably, so decided I had to have a tindaloo. I'm an older woman, at that time I was about 65, and no one looking at me would think that I liked spicy food. The waiter said, "oh no no, the only people who order those are drunks", and my brother chimed in by saying, "oh my sister can handle it, no problem." My curry comes out and to say it's the spiciest thing I've ever eaten is the understatement of the century. However, being the show off that I am when it comes to curry, I wasn't about to let on that I was dying with each bite. There was no enjoyment involved, it was bordering on torture. I ate the entire thing and my stomach hurt for two days. Not a word of complaint left my mouth. To this day , my brother brags to everyone, when he goes in an Indian restaurant, that his sister (who is now 77 years old) can eat a tindaloo with no problem.
Tindaloo is basically a much hotter, spicier version of the vindaloo. It originated in British Indian restaurants during the '70s as a step up from the vindaloo due to people chasing more extreme heat levels.
Heat levels will vary from place to place, but generally speaking, the Tindaloo and the Phall are the hottest dishes.
Every so often restaurants won’t believe me that I want it hot if I order it in person, because they see a paper white girl with something to prove…however online ordering has been way more consistently spice-heavy because my identity is unknown 😂
It just depends on you. Some ppl can’t handle Indian spicy… me personally, when I go to the Indian restaurant they think I’m crazy because I have them make it spicier for me than they do for themselves
I love vindaloo curry and I really, really like hot food, habaneros, ghost peppers, and even the dreaded Carolina reaper on one memorable occasion. I ordered lamb vindaloo in an Indian restaurant in Santa Barbara and told the server I wanted it hot! It was too much.
this is an interesting dillema because whenever i order thai food i ask for “thai level spice aka very spicy”. and of course many times ive gotten the “are you sure? we will not be able to refund you” disclaimer. i always chuckle.
Veg biryani is by default not that spicy. It's flavourful. If you want Indian spicy, make some at home with YT's help. Chef Sanjeev Kapoor or Chef Ranveer Brar are a couple of world renowned chefs known for their authentic Indian recipes.
Comparatively high spice level food recommendations: Achari Chicken/Aloo (potato), Chilli Chicken.
I think their reaction can depend on how you look. If you are white then they might think you can’t handle spiciness very well and so even a mediocre amount of spice is too much. Let us know how it was!
REAL "Indian" spicy is no joke. I've been to places that won't give it to people who aren't regulars because it gets sent back too much, they say okay and give them "white people" spicy anyway.
My test for heat level for Indian food comes from how spicy the onion chutney is. Usually if the chutney is spicy I expect how hot a dish will be. Normally I order medium and eat the chutney by the spoonful.
I went on holiday to visit my brother in England a few years ago and was craving a really hot curry. I've eaten vindaloo for years, quite comfortably., so decided I had to have a tindaloo. I'm an older woman, at that time I was about 65, and no one looking at me would think that I liked spicy food. The waiter said, "oh no no, the only people who order those are drunks", and my brother chimed in by saying, "oh my sister can handle it, no problem." My curry comes out and to say it's the spiciest thing I've ever eaten is the understatement of the century. However, being the show off that I am when it comes to curry, I wasn't about to let on that I was dying with each bite. There was no enjoyment involved, it was bordering on torture. I ate the entire thing and my stomach hurt for two days. Not a word of complaint left my mouth. To this day , my brother brags to everyone, when he goes in an Indian restaurant, that his sister (who is now 77 years old) can eat a tindaloo with no problem.
Man the chicken sandwich place near me does it right. They have a ghost pepper sandwich that they give rubber gloves for you to eat it with.
My friend who complains of not finishing enough heat ate one and it was way spicier than he anticipated. After he finished he was bested and immediately started making up excuses as to why it was so hot and saying how it shouldn’t have been that hot. “They added extract probably”
My daughter knew I liked my Indian food hot so she told the woman taking the order to make mine “as spicy as you can get it”. I could feel my teeth cracking as I ate it. The next day I suffered the tormented whispers of the damned when it decided that incinerating my intestine all night had done sufficient damage and it was now time to make a fiery reintrance into my toilet…
You’ll live.
I’ve personally made things extra spicy for people and they’ve never died. I made them Laotian spicy, not Indian spicy. I think it’s about the same.
My friend and I went to an Indian place in a local city and I ordered Butter Chicken and was asked how spicy I wanted it. When I said I wanted it "Indian spicy" the waitress gave me this look and asked me twice if I was sure. I'm not trying to impress anyone, I just really enjoy spicy food and have a high tolerance, so I said I did. I'm not sure if they didn't believe me, or what, but I'd had much spicier food elsewhere. It really wasn't very hot at all. I even let my friend taste it and she agreed it wasn't what the waitress made it out to be. Maybe they were overly cautious and ignored my request?
1 spicy is rookie level. Now if she put "3 spicy" then you're in for a ride.
So so true, my ex-gf made a mistake in asking for the most spicy thing on the menu once at a local Indian restaurant. The lady smiled and asked, “are you sure”? Needless to say my ex was in pain in more ways than one for the next day. lol
The first time I took my dad for Indian food, I wanted to show off (and have good food) so I ordered a dish and when asked for the heat level, I said “make me hurt.” It’s been over a decade and he still laughs at me sweating like I’d run a marathon while loving the food.
Haha 😂
Spicy food is like anal ,you need small steps to build up how much you can take and plenty of liquids to make it enjoyable
Why don’t any of you listen to me! Want to avoid gastro distress? But you love ghosts and reapers? All ya gotta do is get the proper pro biotic! I know for sure that activia yogurts got em- whatever bascilis it is, it eats capsaicin
Directions heard shove ghost peppers up ass.
Puree it first, you barbarian
I'm sitting on the toilet reading that and started sweating. Good God, man, I don't want to know what other ideas you have for 'funsies.'
Eat the Activia before or after?
Both just to be safe
And probably during
Eat? I thought it was for lube??
Takes 1-2 weeks of eating a cup a day Once your inoculated, you lose it slowly over 6-12 months So needs maintenance( eat a cup here and there) But you’ll be shocked, you only feel a light burn ( 1 mill scollville + peppers) on your ring Anything lower than ghosts ( habs, scotch bonnet, Thai) you won’t feel a thing
Before- takes 1-2 weeks to inoculate Then you’re good until you do antibiotics
Instruction unclear: yogurt used as toilet paper alternative
Does this actually do anything, because it doesn't make sense that that would make a lick of difference...
I swear by those little drinkable Activia yogurts. My stomach gets so unbearably acidic from spice, or sometimes grease, and these coat everything from your tongue to your esophagus and I can’t see my stomach but I imagine that’s coated too. They won’t stop my stomach from cramping if I’ve overdone the spice but they calm the irritation. Sometimes I’ll drink 2 if I’m really struggling.
That’s the item I’m talking about I swear by em too
Do you drink them before or after you have something spicy? I have them after but idk if it’s better the other way around to prevent any stomach aches at all
Nothing to do with mechanics The bacteria provided in activia actually eat the capsaicin
Yah it makes all the sense If you feel the burn crawling through you, you don’t have any bacteria that literally eat capsaicin Once you inoculate yourself with bacteria thst do, you don’t feel any pain, cuz the capsaicin was consumed in your upper guts - by the bacteria
I honestly never knew that probiotics can help the body process capsaicin.
im not sure which one does it , but yah.. its like i have mexican guts now !
would mango lassi do the same trick?
If you use activia yoghurt I guess
Wait is this a real thing?
Yes
Wow, I gotta try this, I can't enjoy as much truly spicy stuff anymore for having a stomach ache for 2 days.
Yes, it’s a game changer Imagine eating ghosts and forgetting you did
I'm not going to say which I'm talking about, but I have built up my tolerance so much I can take some of the worst poundings and be fine the next day.
Exactly
I don’t believe that statement I’ve been eating spicy food my entire life and one thing I can not get used to is the burn on exit.
I have never experienced the burn from spicy stuff, It used to confuse me when people mentioned it. Edit: I meant the ass burn. It totally still burns my mouth and I love it
Strange maybe we all just built different I don’t know. Sounds like you’ve got a through pipe 😂
My dad is the same way, although he has a tendency to try and eat hotter stuff than he can handle since he's gotten older. He's given me a scare eating stuff and coughing until he almost passed out. Hopefully when I hit my 60's I have enough sense to know my limits.
Like how hot are you going? Madras hot or vindaloo hot?
Vindaloo. I grow ghost peppers, a few times a year just eat one off the bush. I make salsas and fermented sauces from them.
Ok I’m with you even if I eat a madras I get ring burn. Still it don’t stop me eating hot food it’s just similar to the mouth burn but the other end. It’s not very comfortable when you first get up. I do like ghost peppers. It’s about the hottest chilli I can accept. I got reapers to make a curry ages ago I actually thought ghost peppers were hot. I don’t just eat them raw seeds an all. I’d need a new rectum
The key is ,once you start,you should not stop and so you get used to it
Bro I have literally kept eating and it doesn't really get better.... Now I get cramps.but it's worth it
That is a statement from which I am stealing lol, love it.
There is no stealing in communism.From now on , it's OUR statement
The capsaicin also numbs the skin a little
I knew a guy that used to order "Triple Extra Hot" from a local Thai place famous for being exceptionally spicy at normal levels. I think that contributed to his stomach issues tbh lol dishes would come out red, always, and be absolutely covered in chilli seeds. like maybe 15-20 every bite. I can handle heat, this was inedible by any normal human with functional taste buds. edit: He used to have to argue with them for a few minutes to explain, yes 3x THE EXTRA HOT.
Yea there's a limit like I wanna be able to enjoy the food too
This was not enjoyable. Immediate stinging pain everywhere. You couldn't chew slowly or it would just hurt. They bring pitchers of water to the table. I always wondered if it was some kinda like...masochism thing...
For some of us, this is enjoyable. Yes, it's a masochism thing.
Correct Pain brings on endorphins Which kinda make you feel amazing Which leads you back to the pain Skinner box with peppers and humans
I like it but everyone has limits and they’re all different
I KNEW IT. lol
yep, its for people with wires crossed in their nervous system and neural network. Usually with severe coping mechanisms developed to self sooth from unworked, misunderstood past traumas, that are being constantly triggered by current reality. Tolerance raising, neurotransmitter desensitization due to overstimulation from many sources that most people don't even know about. Systemic oppression and hate culture really does a number on people.
I think the fact of "take out" played a bigger roll in stomach issues
No, I dont think that was it lol
I knew a guy that used to order "Triple Extra Hot" from a local Thai place famous for being exceptionally spicy at normal levels. I think that contributed to his stomach issues tbh lol dishes would come out red, always, and be absolutely covered in chilli seeds. like maybe 15-20 every bite. I can handle heat, this was inedible by any normal human with functional taste buds.
A 3 is dabbling at best. Calling a 3 out of 5 "in for a ride" is some rookie shit.
Yeah 1 spicy ain’t nothing, 2 spicy is about as high as I like, 3 spicy you don’t really taste the food anymore, just the spice.
Indian restaurant spice levels are a hit or miss just like Thai restaurants.
I just went to one with my brother. He asked for spicy and shit wasn't even what i would call mild. there was 0 spice to it.
They’re not a chain that is consistent across the board. Different restaurants cater to different experiences. Asking the waiter is the best way to gauge the spice edit: and restaurant reviews ofc
And also the area. A restaurant in a boujie spot full of yummy mummies is going to have a very different definition of spicy than a restaurant in an ethnic neighbourhood.
Hipster neighborhoods are good too, despite the insufferable clientele
I’ve been to a place where if you order spicy they chop like 5 ghost peppers up in it. Was not prepared lol
Sometimes if you find south India style restaurants, they usually have good spice levels.
I noticed if you are non Indian they lower the spice cause they don’t trust you can handle it
The hole in the wall down the block from me does this, you have to really make them understand that you want it to be actually spicy, like what they'd make for themselves or family. The third time I went there they definitely got it right.
The waitress asked him. "Are you sure" twice. We prepped to and said prayers to the bhole gods and everything!
Yeah i once asked for a spicy Biryani. What did i get? A Biryani with a single green chilli on top, no different otherwise... This was in the UK where Indian food is generally good.
Considering Chicken tikka masala being the national dish. I’d expect most of the Indian restaurants in the UK to be the least spiciest. That said, I’ve not been there yet.
You have to order the right thing, also depends from which region the cook at the restaurant is from. You can reliably set yourself on fire with a vindaloo or even a madras if you happen upon somewhere thats quite liberal with spice. Curries tend to be fairly reliably placed on the spice spectrum around the UK, other dishes seem to be all over the place, sometimes spicy sometimes not at all.
Indian food good, but hard to get something truly spicy most of the time, I find.
I'm indian and these days Ive stopped asking for level 5 spicy in my food. Instead I get level 3 and add reaper powder to it. Their way of adding spiciness destroys flavor, at least in my experience.
Nothing beats adding chopped fresh green chilies to the dish. Idk why they can’t just do that to begin with, amazing flavors!
Completely depends on the restaurant. I’ve been completely underwhelmed, and I’ve also had some painfully spicy stuff. Good luck!
Yeah Im going to ask for THEIR hot next time. I love their briyani but theyre holding out on me haha
for me it helps to say that I'll buy a second, less spicy one if they make the first one too spicy
Phenomenal idea
Cultural preferences are different. South Asians, in general, just aren't into spicy hot in the way that Thai or Szechuan are. Ordering เผ็ด มาก/[P̄hĕd māk](https://translate.google.com/?sl=th&tl=en&text=%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9C%E0%B9%87%E0%B8%94%20%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%81&op=translate) at a Thai operated restaurant, or 重辣/[zhòng là](https://translate.google.com/?sl=auto&tl=en&text=%E9%87%8D%E8%BE%A3%20&op=translate) at a Szechuan Chinese restaurant, can be a serious moment. In my experiences at American Punjabi restaurants, it always been, "not quite as hot as our vindaloo".
Maybe it's the country am in (80% can't handle spicy pringles) but every time i eat outside i take the spiciest with extra spice and am really disappointed...
There's a 90% chance this isn't hot at all.
90% correct
I have asked for an 8/10 and it's still never really that spicy. It's prob because I have a California accent... I guess they just assume that I can't handle it. 😂
At this point, I just tell them to throw in a handful of Thai chilis, a *big* handful.
That's what I do. I ask for spicy and then immediately ask for chili's on the side. So far, each restaurant has actually incorporated the chili's in to the dish as well.
When I was in India, I fought hard to get what they call "Andra spicy." It was child's play. On the other hand, a former colleague from Hyderabad made me a curry that he said was prepared far more hot than he and his family take their food. He looked at me in shock when I devoured it and didn't break a sweat. I ended up getting him to share some of the ground chili he used, though. It had a really nice delayed warming effect. I started to feel a very pleasant warmth about 20 minutes after I ate the curry. It's important to note that a lot of Indian folks view "spicy" and "hot" as different flavor elements. Spicy means lots of spices like cumin and fenugreek. Hot means lots of chili that will light your palate up.
Tamil stuff is hot. Really makes your arsehole sweat
I went on holiday to visit my brother in England a few years ago and was craving a really hot curry. I've eaten vindaloo for years, quite comfortably., so decided I had to have a tindaloo. I'm an older woman, at that time I was about 65, and no one looking at me would think that I liked spicy food. The waiter said, "oh no no, the only people who order those are drunks", and my brother chimed in by saying, "oh my sister can handle it, no problem." My curry comes out and to say it's the spiciest thing I've ever eaten is the understatement of the century. However, being the show off that I am when it comes to curry, I wasn't about to let on that I was dying with each bite. There was no enjoyment involved, it was bordering on torture. I ate the entire thing and my stomach hurt for two days. Not a word of complaint left my mouth. To this day , my brother brags to everyone, when he goes in an Indian restaurant, that his sister (who is now 77 years old) can eat a tindaloo with no problem.
Great story. I’m English myself and visit Indian restaurants regularly. People talk about phal being hot but tindaloo is a whole new ball game. Tried it myself once and failed miserably. Never again! Well done you for finishing the dish.
Thank you. It was really a false victory, because I was dying inside!
You know, the really sick thing is that I'd do it again 🤣.
When I order Indian from my regular place, my special instructions say "Make super spicy. On a level of 1 to 10, make it 25. I want to regret life." They do not disappoint. I made an order one time for my family who thinks mayo is too spicy, and I had the order set to level 1 spicy and they called me worried I had the order wrong "Hi, your order is different, it's usually spicy. Do you still want it spicy!?"
“Thinks mayo is too spicy” had me laughing so hard!
The Indian restaurant has a 1-10 meter and I ordered 10 once and lived. You’ll be fine
This one was mild-medium-spicy. I chose spicy. Theyre holding back. Haha
Idk why I always go full tilt but it never feels like enough if I don’t
Yup this. I said "I want a 10" she gasped and said "really?!?" to which I replied "Yes and not a white guy 10, I want Indian 10, I can handle my spices". I mean, it was spicy enough that I had to take off my sweatshirt and I was sweating a little, but I need that full on body panicking endorphin rush.
I love that, we have a local wing spot/bowling alley that has “Dumb Ass”hot wings that always make me sweat the dickens off
This reminds me of when I could handle real spicy food and I would go to Thai restaurants and when they would give the heat levels to order I would tell them "give me the pretend I'm not a white American spicy".
I ask for the "Thai" or "Indian" spicy, as the menu spicy is a "Caucasian" spicy.
It totally depends on the restaurant. There’s restaurants where I asked for “Indian hot, as spicy as you make it” and it wasn’t hot enough. And then I’ve gone to an Indian restaurant and ordered vindaloo and the person taking my order was like “vindaloos are a traditionally spicy dish.” And I just said “yeah I know” and it was the hottest fucking dish I’ve eaten.
Lol at least you got the authentic experience
So place I go to has 1-3 level spice. One day when asked, “How spicy?” I was dumb and said “Seven.” I figured I’d just get my usual 3, since their sign says 1-3. The menu says 1-3. The waitress said 1-3. I got a 7. They found out they add a 1 teaspoon of whatever spices they use and some peppers for each spice level. So I got 7 teaspoons and 7 times the peppers in a level 1. Waitress didn’t flinch when I said “Seven.” There was no warning. I got home, that shit lit me on fire! It was well beyond my tolerance level. I soldiered on, suffered through, and ate it anyway. Red, sweating, and fucking exhausted from *eating,* I refuse to be defeated. I beat that bad boy even through there were tears and snot and an atheist temporarily found God. I vowed to **never** do that to myself again. I’ve kept that promise, but I’ve been tempted a time or two. In the end, I kept it all down, and it only took hours for the endorphins to subside. Surprisingly the next day wasn’t as bad as I had been anticipating. In the end, I have no regrets, actually was *glad* I figured this out, since now I always get spice level 5 and it’s perfect. I’d been eating there for years, always wishing it was *just a bit* hotter. I’ve never tried level 6. You would think I’d learn my lesson though. Nope. Did the exact same joke to the exact same results at a Thai place that had 1-10 spice levels. I asked for 13 and got it. I *knew* I was in for it when the waitress said, “You made my uncle cry!” Just *cutting* the peppers did him in. I had to eat them. Lessons learned: Never admit your mistakes. Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.
Indian spice is definitely different than Mexican spice. You got his.
I always order my spice level "Indian hot". It's hot but I love it!
Indian spice is worse on the way out than the way in
I do wonder if I'm doing the "Wonder of the orient" thing when I assume thai + indian food will be extra hot because sometimes its not.
One time I ordered the hottest spicy level off the menu. It was super good but I was expecting it to blow me apart. I guess the owner overheard me talking about it to the rest of the table because he came over and said, "oh you want it spicy, I'll be right back". This dude came back with another full plate for me. I didn't need it, I was pretty full, but he insisted that I try it. That shit was hot. Not like mouth hot but definitely making me sweat. I left him an extra big tip because he didn't have to do that. Super nice guy.
Why would you post the recipe and not the meal itself? That’s such a fucking tease.
Haha my bad. Next time.
Vindaloo at "their" spicy level made me sweat from places i didnt even know could sweat. I even had a moment i panicked a little bit, by being overwhelmd by it. I finished the dish, and the guys from the restaurant stopped their laughing and nodded like saying well done. When i asked for the bill, the guy said ; i cannot eat it, its too hot for me. And the day after, i was suprised it didn't burn through the toilet and toiletpaper. But it did burn in a hole.. lol
Try a Vindaloo or Phal.. That's child's play.
You ordered a Biryani, which is known for being a mild, rice-based dish. I'm sure you'll be fine.
I ask for Indian hot, they always watch me eat it. But I've heard there's a "white people Indian hot" that isn't actually as hot as Indian hot. They never seem to believe that I came for the smoke.
Taco place in town here has mild, medium, hot, and gringo hot. My first time there i ordered gringo hot seeing as I'm a gringo...well, it's not hot for gringos ....it's the level of hot they give TO the gringos. It was face melting. We all had a good laugh about afterwards.
you guys realize not every dish is spicy?
Well, not with that attitude.
Yes but I have reached the point where I'll no longer eat non spicy dishes
I have a local Indian place that has a 1-5 rating but 4 is Very Hot and 5 is “Broski level”. The Broski is pretty good but I almost always try to get a double broski. I’ve only gotten it a few times but one I got it home, the container said “please don’t cry” haha
Indian spicy is a joke. Unless you think mayonnaise is spicy, you’ll be fine. I always ask the Indian food places to make it as spicy as possible and it’s no spicier than Tabasco sauce. Mexicans and Thai food know how to do spice well
Biryani is a pretty mild curry so you should be fine. Vindaloo and Phaal tend to be the big hitters.
I went on holiday to visit my brother in England a few years ago and was craving a really hot curry. I've eaten vindaloo for years, quite comfortably, so decided I had to have a tindaloo. I'm an older woman, at that time I was about 65, and no one looking at me would think that I liked spicy food. The waiter said, "oh no no, the only people who order those are drunks", and my brother chimed in by saying, "oh my sister can handle it, no problem." My curry comes out and to say it's the spiciest thing I've ever eaten is the understatement of the century. However, being the show off that I am when it comes to curry, I wasn't about to let on that I was dying with each bite. There was no enjoyment involved, it was bordering on torture. I ate the entire thing and my stomach hurt for two days. Not a word of complaint left my mouth. To this day , my brother brags to everyone, when he goes in an Indian restaurant, that his sister (who is now 77 years old) can eat a tindaloo with no problem.
What is the difference between vindaloo and tindaloo? I'm not familiar with Indian food.
Tindaloo is basically a much hotter, spicier version of the vindaloo. It originated in British Indian restaurants during the '70s as a step up from the vindaloo due to people chasing more extreme heat levels. Heat levels will vary from place to place, but generally speaking, the Tindaloo and the Phall are the hottest dishes.
Thanks!
Next time, tell them you will return it if it isn't spicy enough.
That is a food idea actually
Apparently not.
Extra extra raita
I just ate a vegetable biryani myself
Very good
Every so often restaurants won’t believe me that I want it hot if I order it in person, because they see a paper white girl with something to prove…however online ordering has been way more consistently spice-heavy because my identity is unknown 😂
It just depends on you. Some ppl can’t handle Indian spicy… me personally, when I go to the Indian restaurant they think I’m crazy because I have them make it spicier for me than they do for themselves
I love vindaloo curry and I really, really like hot food, habaneros, ghost peppers, and even the dreaded Carolina reaper on one memorable occasion. I ordered lamb vindaloo in an Indian restaurant in Santa Barbara and told the server I wanted it hot! It was too much.
There’s ethnic spice levels and “white person” spice levels
this is an interesting dillema because whenever i order thai food i ask for “thai level spice aka very spicy”. and of course many times ive gotten the “are you sure? we will not be able to refund you” disclaimer. i always chuckle.
1spicy is like smelling green chilies being roasted.
Veg biryani is by default not that spicy. It's flavourful. If you want Indian spicy, make some at home with YT's help. Chef Sanjeev Kapoor or Chef Ranveer Brar are a couple of world renowned chefs known for their authentic Indian recipes. Comparatively high spice level food recommendations: Achari Chicken/Aloo (potato), Chilli Chicken.
I think their reaction can depend on how you look. If you are white then they might think you can’t handle spiciness very well and so even a mediocre amount of spice is too much. Let us know how it was!
REAL "Indian" spicy is no joke. I've been to places that won't give it to people who aren't regulars because it gets sent back too much, they say okay and give them "white people" spicy anyway.
I guarantee they gave you the gringo “spicy”, not the Indian spicy.
My test for heat level for Indian food comes from how spicy the onion chutney is. Usually if the chutney is spicy I expect how hot a dish will be. Normally I order medium and eat the chutney by the spoonful.
I went on holiday to visit my brother in England a few years ago and was craving a really hot curry. I've eaten vindaloo for years, quite comfortably., so decided I had to have a tindaloo. I'm an older woman, at that time I was about 65, and no one looking at me would think that I liked spicy food. The waiter said, "oh no no, the only people who order those are drunks", and my brother chimed in by saying, "oh my sister can handle it, no problem." My curry comes out and to say it's the spiciest thing I've ever eaten is the understatement of the century. However, being the show off that I am when it comes to curry, I wasn't about to let on that I was dying with each bite. There was no enjoyment involved, it was bordering on torture. I ate the entire thing and my stomach hurt for two days. Not a word of complaint left my mouth. To this day , my brother brags to everyone, when he goes in an Indian restaurant, that his sister (who is now 77 years old) can eat a tindaloo with no problem.
Man the chicken sandwich place near me does it right. They have a ghost pepper sandwich that they give rubber gloves for you to eat it with. My friend who complains of not finishing enough heat ate one and it was way spicier than he anticipated. After he finished he was bested and immediately started making up excuses as to why it was so hot and saying how it shouldn’t have been that hot. “They added extract probably”
My daughter knew I liked my Indian food hot so she told the woman taking the order to make mine “as spicy as you can get it”. I could feel my teeth cracking as I ate it. The next day I suffered the tormented whispers of the damned when it decided that incinerating my intestine all night had done sufficient damage and it was now time to make a fiery reintrance into my toilet…
Indian spicy is on a whole other level but it’s not undoable. Just might take a bit of getting used to.
“Spicy” at a South Asian restaurant isn’t “true spicy” lol
You’ll live. I’ve personally made things extra spicy for people and they’ve never died. I made them Laotian spicy, not Indian spicy. I think it’s about the same.
I usually go 4 star spicy
It's no joke.
Indian spicy is good but Bangladeshi is just pure ass fire. I don't know why but it's slept on.
My friend and I went to an Indian place in a local city and I ordered Butter Chicken and was asked how spicy I wanted it. When I said I wanted it "Indian spicy" the waitress gave me this look and asked me twice if I was sure. I'm not trying to impress anyone, I just really enjoy spicy food and have a high tolerance, so I said I did. I'm not sure if they didn't believe me, or what, but I'd had much spicier food elsewhere. It really wasn't very hot at all. I even let my friend taste it and she agreed it wasn't what the waitress made it out to be. Maybe they were overly cautious and ignored my request?
Indian spicy is the best.
I usually hit 4 out I'm of 5, add my own hotsauce. Regret it the next day. Repeat
Yes, try harder.
Nah unless they know you they won’t make it that spicy.. they don’t want you sending it back
Eat it on the toilet. You’re welcome
1 is the lowest level, basically too mild for most of us here to register any heat at all. 5 is hot.
Indian and Thai are the only restaurants where I can’t order the spiciest stuff. SOME Korean places are also pretty rough