That was a dumb move, wasn't it?

November 11, 2007 12:57 AM

The Naga Jolokia is the hottest pepper in the world, at 1,000,000 Scoville Units. One seed from a Naga Jolokia can sustain intense pain sensations in the mouth for up to 30 minutes before subsiding. Imagine what eating an entire pepper will do? One intrepid ESPN reporter finds out.
posted by empath (84 comments total)

And let me be the first to say that Keith Olbermann would NEVER have done that while he was on ESPN.
posted by wendell at 1:19 AM on November 11, 2007

Eating the world's hottest pepper is torture. Morally, torture. Legally, torture.
posted by empath at 1:22 AM on November 11, 2007 [4 favorites]

This is reason number 456 why ESPN should be illegal.
posted by SassHat at 1:27 AM on November 11, 2007

The eating is bad enough, but the expelling is somehow worse. Some things just shouldn't burn.
posted by maxwelton at 1:37 AM on November 11, 2007

I think my favorite experiment in all of my undergraduate lab courses was in analytical chemistry when we used HPLC to quantify just how hot various hot sauces were.
posted by grouse at 1:37 AM on November 11, 2007

Don't taser my mouth, bro!
posted by grouse at 1:40 AM on November 11, 2007 [6 favorites]

"how long is this going to last?"

"for some people 5 or 6 hours..."


Growing up as a nerd, and being taunted by the jocks in high school, I knew at some point down the line, the idea of brains over brawn would be vindicated in my lifetime...
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 2:18 AM on November 11, 2007

Next: Rob Stone crams an entire skunk up his nostril! And attempts to dislodge an agitated porcupine from his urethra, while carving an overripe durian fruit with a blunt spork tied to the paw of a writhing, shrieking howler monkey. Does anyone dare tell him that his reward, if he survives, is an all lutefisk buffet in lovely Barstow, CA?
posted by maryh at 2:23 AM on November 11, 2007 [19 favorites]

The eating is bad enough, but the expelling is somehow worse. Some things just shouldn't burn.

Cue up "Ring of Fire," please.
posted by Kinbote at 2:40 AM on November 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

I ate pure habenero puree once, and it was bearable (even without milk). However, I don't think I'd ever attempt a pepper five times hotter.
posted by BrotherCaine at 2:46 AM on November 11, 2007

Pussy.
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 3:00 AM on November 11, 2007

I actually use Dave's Private Reserve (approx 500k-750k rating). Not a lot mind you. Just a couple drops will do ya. I can't imagine what it'd be like to take a whole mouthful of the stuff.

I ate pure habenero puree once, and it was bearable (even without milk).

There's actually a fair amount of variance among habaneros. The Naga Jolokia, for example, is just a habanero cultivar that's been selectively bred for heat.
posted by juv3nal at 3:40 AM on November 11, 2007

This was pretty underwhelming. I was expecting him to curl up into a ball and sob to himself for a couple of hours.

Snorting wasbi powder is much more dramatic.
posted by public at 3:52 AM on November 11, 2007

I haven't laughed so much at a youtube video in a while. Reminds me of a time me and some of my high school friends had a hot sauce contest. The point, of course, was to bring the hottest. I didn't know what I was getting into when the craftiest of our group brought in a bottle of stuff that was named "Pure Cap." The not so crafty of our group thought it was a joke that it came with an eyedropper and the label said to use one drop for every couple of gallons of food. You do dumb things when you're bored.

Fun times.

Then there was the time I entered a jalapeño eating contest and the last two peppers were habaneros. I was tearing and drooling and spitting up mucus for about an hour and a half. All the paletas in the world could not cool my tongue. That's the last time I ever tried some stunt to impress a girl.

Holy moly, public, I wish you'd not posted that wasabi powder snorting video. I've the sudden urge to go out and... well... eat some sushi, actually. Which is unfortunate because it's 4:12 AM over here.
posted by Mister Cheese at 4:07 AM on November 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

Even my boogers are spicy.
posted by thewalrusispaul at 4:24 AM on November 11, 2007

I was sure after he rubbed his eye things were going to get worse than they did...
posted by priested at 5:26 AM on November 11, 2007 [2 favorites]

Wow. People are stupid. The wasabi up the nose! What was he thinking?
posted by Mojojojo at 5:26 AM on November 11, 2007

Pussy.

About 5,000 Scoville Units (YPMV)
posted by hal9k at 5:33 AM on November 11, 2007 [8 favorites]

Wow. People are stupid. The wasabi up the nose! What was he thinking?

I suspect it was along the lines of "Hey I wonder what it feels like to snort wasabi powder?".
posted by gomichild at 5:34 AM on November 11, 2007

Saw on television at the weekend on the odd news round up some Indian guru rubbing his eyes with chillies... slightly more dramatic with these guys
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:49 AM on November 11, 2007

1 000 000 is hot?

Try 16 000 000.
posted by 6am at 5:52 AM on November 11, 2007

Try 16 000 000.

A review of that stuff. Awesome.
posted by grouse at 6:08 AM on November 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

I didn't know what I was getting into when the craftiest of our group brought in a bottle of stuff that was named "Pure Cap."

I went to a specialist chili store that claimed you had to sign a release form if you wanted to buy pure cap, as it was basically a weapon. I don't know if that was just window dressing or a real legal requirement.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 6:20 AM on November 11, 2007

Snorting wasbi powder is much more dramatic.

Meh. Real men shoot it into the eyeball.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 6:31 AM on November 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

A Korean friend of mine eats raw red chili peppers with kochujan...he also eats kochujan with raw garlic. Can't wait to try it out.
posted by KokuRyu at 6:40 AM on November 11, 2007

Considering that pepper spray starts at about 2million, I would say that yes, it's a weapon.
posted by Eideteker at 6:45 AM on November 11, 2007

Honestly, it's like I've wandered into a completely alien discussion with these sorts of things. I will sometimes start sweating after eating pepperoni pizza, depending on the pepperoni used. Black pepper has a not insignificant heat to it, if there's enough of it. Comfortable, but I notice it.

You lot are all crazy, and are the reason why "I don't eat spicy things" needs further explanation. It's usually assumed that I mean "I don't eat things that are very spicy". No, I don't want your 'mild' sauce. Yes, I'm sure.

I reiterate: crazy.
posted by Arturus at 7:20 AM on November 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

But he says a dumb move while having a second chomp into the dang thing. Major dumb.

Interesting to find out about the Scoville scale. A Chile Pepper Institute? Found an interesting tangent link from the Naga Jolkia first link posted, to an Indian Defence Research Lab site with some practical tips for environmentally safe mosquito repellent.

Scary about the pure cap crystals. yikes. Glad it's over 300 bucks for a tiny amount. Sounds like it would otherwise be way too available for pranks.

Always wanted to visit Nagaland. It's an interesting corner of the planet. Love their indigenous crafts.

Initially, never liked hot sauce or Indian cuisine particularly and it took many years living in India to get used to the food. But by the time I came back West, I routinely ate what would be considered in the US extremely hot chili peppered food, which over the years in NYC has gone back to a more typically American sensitivity. And now I need the stuff, jones for it and have a bottle of yummy chili-garlic sauce in the fridge, which I dollop by the teaspoon into the pan when cooking eggs, veggies or meat. mmm.
posted by nickyskye at 7:29 AM on November 11, 2007

What happens when that 1,000,000 Scoville pepper gets to your intestines? Are you then stuck on the can for the rest of the day?
posted by rolypolyman at 7:43 AM on November 11, 2007

Here's a bit of shameless self-linkage:

My dad grows tons of them, and loves to dry them, crush them up, and make hot pepper shakers. The great thing is, they're so powerful that one small shaker will last me 2-3 years, using it on everything I eat.
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 7:47 AM on November 11, 2007 [3 favorites]

That Rob Stone thinks he's the Pope of Chilitown.
posted by evilcolonel at 7:55 AM on November 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

Ha, my girlfriend works at a greenhouse and she is growing the Bhut Jolokia variety. We bought the seeds from the New Mexico State University Chile Pepper Institute. I tried growing a bunch at home but kept losing them when they were still fairly small. She has been successful though, with her fancy smancy greenhouse..
posted by Mr_Zero at 7:58 AM on November 11, 2007

I once tricked my little brother into eating a pepper by telling him it was a cherry tomato.

Yeah, that was a paddlin'.
posted by snickerdoodle at 8:13 AM on November 11, 2007 [4 favorites]

At a Mexican restaurant a few months ago, my food came with a pepper. Now, I've been eating food with pepper-based sauces for quite a while, and had tried many of the novelty sauces with images of people whose asses are burning, or sauces that come in coffins, etc. None of them ever seemed to have much effect on me, so I took a big bite of the pepper.

I then had to retire to the bathroom to cry for a half an hour. When I finally got back to the table, the waiter was there.

What kind of chili is this, I asked.

Jalapeño, he answered.

Just a Jalapeño. 10,000 scoville units, at most.

I've been supsersensiitized to pepper ever since. On the plus side, my sense of smell has returned.
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:19 AM on November 11, 2007 [4 favorites]

Okay, here's the deal. My father? We call him Old Iron Gut because he can eat hot peppers like they're candy, and we're from NM so we know from hot peppers. I've seen him eat the wee red Chinese peppers that go in kung pao without even blinking.

Even he wouldn't have wanted to be in the same room as that pepper. Rob Stone is a lunatic.
posted by sugarfish at 8:19 AM on November 11, 2007

And now I need the stuff, jones for it and have a bottle of yummy chili-garlic sauce in the fridge, which I dollop by the teaspoon into the pan when cooking eggs, veggies or meat. mmm

MMMM.... Tung ot Toi --- Huy Fong Foods puts out some wonderful hot sauces.

And remember, when you make habenero hot sauce, make sure the blender is under a powerful exhaust hood. Or find a gas mask...
posted by jgaiser at 8:28 AM on November 11, 2007

I learned about the positive consciousness altering potential of hot chilis by reading Andrew Weil's The Marriage of the Sun and Moon way back in the 1980's.
The hottest chilis I could find at the time in Missoula Montana were a dried Japanese "Hontaka" pepper. Eating a mess of dried chilis is not as nice as eating fresh chilis, but it will work.

While much of Weil's worldview is too "woo" for my tastes, he is correct about the mindset one must have to make the chili eating experience positive and not painful. The sports-chump in the video had the wrong attitude, with predictable results.

There is a reason that people eat extremely hot chilis: to get high.
posted by Tube at 8:36 AM on November 11, 2007 [3 favorites]

Hibbert: By all medical logic, steam should be shooting out of his ears.
Krusty: His ears, if we're lucky.
posted by porn in the woods at 8:41 AM on November 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

I'd also like to add a "big ups" for Tabasco's chipotle sauce. While I don't care for their red or green sauce (too vinegary), they really scored a hit with their chipotle. I've been to Tabasco's Avery Island plant twice now, and bought a gallon of the stuff each time. I've gone through two gallons in as many years...
posted by Tube at 8:53 AM on November 11, 2007

Has anyone else ever gotten hiccups from eating hot peppers? I one (ONCE) ate a whole, raw habanero, just to see what it was like, and I got these violent, retching, painful hiccups that lasted for a good 15 minutes.
posted by MrMoonPie at 9:12 AM on November 11, 2007

Yes on the hiccups--I once overestimated what I was up for at a Thai restaurant, and had miserable hiccups for way too long.
posted by everichon at 9:13 AM on November 11, 2007

Would there be risk of death involved in consuming an entire vial of pure capsaicin crystals?
posted by The Straightener at 9:19 AM on November 11, 2007

Hiccups are actually a pretty common allergic reaction to spices. Those stories about people who can't stop hiccuping for days or weeks? Very often they are consuming something (spicy or not) which is causing the spasm.

Think of it like a sneeze with your diaphragm.
posted by abulafa at 9:19 AM on November 11, 2007

I once put too much of Endorphin Rush sauce in a soup -- I thought there was a "small drops" attachment on the bottle and there wasn't. Still, I was having dinner with a few friends so I forced myself to eat the whole thing. I did it too.

Let's just say I cursed my pride a few times the next day.
posted by clevershark at 9:31 AM on November 11, 2007

You're not a real man until you've eaten a handful of these and had a liver fail.

Why do some people fail to grasp the simple concept that not all plants are safe consumables, even if they look like the friendlier varieties we eat every day.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 9:55 AM on November 11, 2007

First time my dad tried Japanese food? Well, being from San Diego, when he saw green stuff he assumed it was guacamole. Loving guacamole, he put the whole bowl of wasabi into his mouth. I didn't get to witness it, but I've heard many a description and I can easily imagine it.

Took many years to gain his trust enough that he agreed to try it again with me by his side. Eventually I was able to help him learn how to eat sushi the more enjoyable way, and he LOVES it now. But for many years he held his wasabi experience against the entire Japanese culture, simply saying, "Those people don't know how to make food."

Awww, my dad. *Sigh.*
posted by miss lynnster at 10:16 AM on November 11, 2007 [5 favorites]

Oh, and kinda related.
posted by miss lynnster at 10:19 AM on November 11, 2007

Next up, Rob Stone versus the dreaded candiru.
posted by boo_radley at 10:25 AM on November 11, 2007 [3 favorites]

> I once put too much of Endorphin Rush sauce in a soup...

Following that link:

> Themes : Extreme * Collector's Favorite * Sex * Bodily Function * Sports * * All Natural * No Fat * Very low sodium * Fits In Display Box

No. Just no.
posted by ardgedee at 10:29 AM on November 11, 2007

My girlfriend recently brought me home a mixed bag of chiles from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I picked out a smallish orange one, diced it up, and put it on my spaghetti. I suspected habanero not from the taste, which was pretty intense but not painful, but because my fingers started burning from the preparation. And continued to burn for the next 8 hours.
posted by eddydamascene at 11:12 AM on November 11, 2007

Would there be risk of death involved in consuming an entire vial of pure capsaicin crystals?

It would certainly result in death.

A even smaller amount would stop breathing or cause cardiac arrest. Wouldn't really matter which occurred first.
posted by 3.2.3 at 11:34 AM on November 11, 2007

I've never understood the allure of pepper hotness, which completely drowns out any other tastes--I guess I understand eating peppers by themselves more than on something. Because you won't taste that something anyway. In my experience salt enhances flavor but pepper is a huge distraction from it.

Capsaicin does have a mild bacteria-killing property, which is supposed to explain its prevalence of use in hot climates, where meat spoils quickly.

So I supppose as a rancid-meat disguiser, it's useful. Otherwise, it seems mostly detached from actual culinary enjoyment.
posted by emjaybee at 11:40 AM on November 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

What would happen if you mainlined some aqueous capsaicin? Intense psychedelic trip followed by death?
posted by tehloki at 11:51 AM on November 11, 2007

emjaybee: endorphins
posted by empath at 11:55 AM on November 11, 2007

emjaybee writes "I've never understood the allure of pepper hotness, which completely drowns out any other tastes"

Endorphins is correct. But you're wrong if you think it drowns out other tastes. I don't particularly like habaneros due to the fact that they don't have much taste of their own. But I love hot green chile from Hatch Farms here in NM. A lot of flavor and heat, but not so much heat that it obliterates everything else. Spicy is an acquired taste, but in addition to the endorphin rush you get, there is something interesting about combining it with other flavors. If you eat enough spicy food, you'll get used to it and maybe even start to crave it.
posted by krinklyfig at 12:04 PM on November 11, 2007

emjaybee writes "Capsaicin does have a mild bacteria-killing property, which is supposed to explain its prevalence of use in hot climates, where meat spoils quickly. "

Indian food can be very spicy and is almost always vegetarian. I think you misunderstand the allure.
posted by krinklyfig at 12:08 PM on November 11, 2007

I don't particularly like habaneros due to the fact that they don't have much taste of their own.

I find they have a fruity flavor, best used in dishes with fruits like mango, pineapple or even kiwi.
posted by ryoshu at 1:34 PM on November 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

I very much like hot food and grow hot peppers, but very hot peppers like the scotch bonnet don't have to be used to make extremely hot food.

Instead, try taking half of a scotch bonnet (dried or fresh) and adding it to a tomato or squash soup - the quantity of soup being in the gallon range. Leave the half pepper in only for a minute or so, then remove it.

You'll find that the pepper leaves a nice, slight amount of heat suitable for anyone including small children. The kick helps augment the soup quite nicely and by adding nearly nothing but capsaicin from the pepper, you don't otherwise alter the taste of the soup. Similarly try substituting this method for recipes that call for Tabasco sauce.

Also try infusing alcohol, such as vodka or tequila, with hot peppers. Leave the peppers in the alcohol for anywhere from a half hour to overnight, then remove the peppers. The resulting alcohol will be hot in relation to the amount of pepper you add. Now take the hot alcohol and experiment with adding a few drops to various drinks - alcoholic or otherwise. I find that citrus drinks (including classics like sidecars) are particularly well suited for the heat. It makes for a nice change of pace, and if you're looking for a kick at night without making your heart race in a bad way, it is a great substitute for those energy drinks.
posted by Muddler at 1:43 PM on November 11, 2007 [4 favorites]

ryoshu writes "I find they have a fruity flavor, best used in dishes with fruits like mango, pineapple or even kiwi."

Well, to me that always cut the heat rather than enhanced the flavor, because habaneros used in cooking are typically added very sparingly. It can be good, but I don't usually pick out a habanero taste, more the quality of the heat.
posted by krinklyfig at 1:56 PM on November 11, 2007

First time my dad tried Japanese food? Well, being from San Diego, when he saw green stuff he assumed it was guacamole. Loving guacamole, he put the whole bowl of wasabi into his mouth.

I am kind of embarrassed to admit that many years ago I did the same thing. I was in Windows on the World with a huge group of snobs, and then me, a noob straight from the midwest, barely adult, never having seen sushi much less experiencing it. I always had an adventurous palate, and sushi is hardly that adventurous, but that big green blob, I just picked it up with the chop sticks and "plop," into my mouth, not really knowing what the hell it was. I am not sure anyone saw me do it, but in that crowd I could not cry out or show pain. I swallowed my mistake and just sat silently for a few minutes until the pain and tears passed. Thankfully, unlike peppers, wine actually cuts the heat of horseradishes. My sinuses were exceptionally clear after that. Hmmm. I have some congestion now, perhaps a nice bubble gum sized ball of wasabi would be just the trick.

These peppers do look like habeneros, I guess they are kind of like the sinsemilla of habeneros. I ate one, well half, of a habanero once. That was pretty dumb, but some things you just have to try once. It was kind of like sticking your tonge in a light bulb socket, without the death. Sour cream and bread numbed that pain reasonably quickly though. After that, I am not really up for one of these new super peppers. They look promising though. I find the habanero too fruity for some uses, despite their wonderful fire. If you could use less pepper for the same heat then the fruity taste will not overwhelm the dish. You can always add in milder peppers for the flavor profile you seek.
posted by caddis at 2:12 PM on November 11, 2007

As part of Junk Safety Week 2007, I would like to remind everyone that it is vital to wash your hands thoroughly both before and after going to the bathroom while preparing meals containing habaneros.

Unless you're into that sort of thing, I guess.
posted by plant at 3:07 PM on November 11, 2007

Would there be risk of death involved in consuming an entire vial of pure capsaicin crystals?

It would certainly result in death.

A even smaller amount would stop breathing or cause cardiac arrest. Wouldn't really matter which occurred first.

It depends on the size of the vial I think. Some handwave-y calculations using the LD50 suggests that while there is risk of death, a 200lb person would have slightly better than even odds of surviving something 1/7 the size of the blair's vial (which claims to give you an ounce).
posted by juv3nal at 3:11 PM on November 11, 2007

A Korean friend of mine eats raw red chili peppers with kochujan...he also eats kochujan with raw garlic. Can't wait to try it out.

No biggie. I do this at every meal, except breakfast (because I don't eat breakfast).

Gochujang (고추=gochu='hot pepper' (also slang for 'penis') 장=jang='paste') isn't actually very hot at all. It's made from red peppers, which tend, in Korea to be the sweeter ones. Raw peppers (almost always the green ones) and sliced garlic (and almost any other kind of raw vegetable) dipped in 고추장 is pretty much standard with any meal here.

Korean peppers do vary widely in spiciness (and by season) even within the single variety that dominates, and, contrary to stereotypes, I find most Korean folks far more sensitive to the strong stuff than me or most other spice-loving foreign types.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:13 PM on November 11, 2007

Krinklyfig...meat isn't the only thing that can spoil, and India isn't the only pepper-using culture. But I pulled that factoid from The Omnivore's Dilemma, so take it up with Michael Pollan. He spends a lot of time talking about the attraction of the pepper buzz, so I believe others get it..I'm just not one of them.
posted by emjaybee at 5:52 PM on November 11, 2007

Hottest stuff I ever ate was a small spoonful of The Man at Dixie's BBQ in Seattle. The Man is a viscous black tar-like substance cooked in a beat up little pot by Dixie's husband Gene in between tending to the meat outside in smokers made from oil drums. Gene walks around to all the tables offering to put a spoonful of The Man onto the plate of anyone who dares try it. I don't know what's in it but I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried after my own meeting with The Man.
posted by scalefree at 7:31 PM on November 11, 2007

I have developed a heat-killing method that would allow me to defeat nearly anyone in a battle of Let's Eat Hot Things Until We Weep, You Wuss Bastard You. But since no one ever challenges me to a LEHTUWWYWBY-off, and since no shaven-headed acolytes are camping outside to have me teach them, I guess I can share it.

Frozen grapes. Seriously. I have learned this by being addicted to heat and, also, frozen grapes. Frozen grapes will put the fire out. You heard it here first.
posted by Bookhouse at 10:00 PM on November 11, 2007

Maybe it's just the places I've been having it, but all the wasabi I've eaten (fake, albeit) is terribly painful, but perfectly edible because the burn goes away in seconds. What's this about minutes of pain and tears? I'm generally fairly sensitive to hot foods, too, although capsaicin heat has a whole different physiology.
posted by abcde at 1:29 AM on November 12, 2007

What would happen if you mainlined some aqueous capsaicin? Intense psychedelic trip followed by death?

When I was about 10, my dad accidentally adminstered tincture of capsicum to me instead of antibiotic ear drops. It hurt. Lots.
posted by bifter at 3:18 AM on November 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

Frozen grapes. Seriously. I have learned this by being addicted to heat and, also, frozen grapes. Frozen grapes will put the fire out.

You are truly a man of high caliber.
posted by hal9k at 6:14 AM on November 12, 2007

When I was about 10, my dad accidentally adminstered tincture of capsicum to me instead of antibiotic ear drops.

I saw this in a play once, but it was two brothers.
posted by fidelity at 6:33 AM on November 12, 2007

When I was about 10, my dad accidentally adminstered tincture of capsicum to me instead of antibiotic ear drops.


I had an ear infection 2 years ago and thought it would be a grand idea to put pure tea tree oil in there. Yep. Straight to the ER I went.

But w/ re: peppers... I once worked in a big communal kitchen-type place and I had to put a bunch of dried habaneros through a buffalo-chopper (we'd run out of pre-chopped stuff for making chorizo) and I was unaware of the obvious outcome. Everyone in the building starting tearing up and hacking away and I had to finish with a bandana covering my face. Putting the chili-oil-soaked equipment through the dishwasher was like making a hot and steamy pepper-spray aroma mist. Oh, the shame! Dumb, dumb, dumb.
posted by wowbobwow at 8:14 AM on November 12, 2007 [2 favorites]

plant's comment prompts me to post this, although I'm sure I'll regret it. You see, back when I was young and foolish[er], by way of experiment, I rubbed Tabasco sauce on the head of my penis. On the glans, if you prefer technical terminology, including the meatus (but not inside the urethra—I'm not a complete idiot; and, yes, I'm sure some of you will beg to differ).

It didn't burn...immediately (which is probably why I applied it so thoroughly). Then, it did. Burn, that is. A lot. I didn't cry, though. If I had thought it would have done the slightest bit of good, I would have, and I wouldn't have had any trouble getting started, either. I endured it for a while, but it didn't seem to be getting any better, so I decided to take a shower and try to wash it off.

That didn't seem to do much good, although, of course, it must have helped some. But I learned something interesting. And painful. The stream of warm water (and it was only warm, not hot), when it touched the affected area, felt like liquid fire. Which set up an interesting approach/avoidance dynamic, as you can imagine. When I had had as much of that as I could stand, I got out of the shower. It was still burning, but the burning gradually abated, and in fifteen minutes or so it was over, with no lingering ill effects, I'm relieved to say.

I hope this serves as a cautionary tale. Also, I imagine those of the dominatrix persuasion might find the information useful.

I am curious, though, as to how it would feel on a clitoris. Oh, come on. I dare you!
posted by Crabby Appleton at 11:41 AM on November 12, 2007 [3 favorites]

When I was about 10, my dad accidentally adminstered tincture of capsicum to me instead of antibiotic ear drops. It hurt. Lots.

Yeah, but don't forget, it's also good at curing diabetes.

Yep. Straight to the ER I went.

So. Many. Questions.
Was it pure tea tree oil, or was it like a soapy cleanser? Why would you think that would work? What happened when you did it? Why was it an emergency? Did it hurt? A lot? Does it stay in there and have to be flushed out? Was surgery involved?
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 9:52 PM on November 12, 2007

Just to be clear: I'm not saying I would ever do that, but I'd still kinda like to know why so I'm not ever tempted to in the future.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 9:53 PM on November 12, 2007

Yeah, but don't forget, it's also good at curing diabetes.

That's about a year ago -- heard of any followups to the research? That's huge, and I hadn't heard anything about it.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:15 PM on November 12, 2007

I haven't heard any recent news on the topic, either. Which could either mean it was a dead-end, or they're still actively researching it and have opted not to release any news until they have more answers (like a good scientist should). For my friend's sake, I hope the latter.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:55 AM on November 13, 2007

Ah, some quick Googling reveals they've spun off that particular group to Afference Therapeutics, Inc. (based in Toronto). According to their press release:

The agreement between SickKids and Afference includes the licensed patents, technology, and intellectual property related to neuropeptides and sensory (pain) nerves, as well as future patents generated by the research program.

If they've already spun off the research arm and are "going corporate" they must be pretty confident that they're headed in the right direction. Someone evidently tried to get more information from the doctors on the program and received this response from Dr. Dosch at SickKids, which sounds extremely hopeful:

"I am able to state that our confidence to be able to translate our findings to human diabetes has distinctly grown..."

"...Our main clinical plan in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes patients is:

1. Expand specific studies of patient responses to neuromodulators
2. Complete regulatory approval process towards phase-1 trials in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes patients
3. Conduct neurological, non-invasive studies of afferent (pain) nerve sensitivities
4. Collect patient blood samples for genetic sequencing studies of identified molecules suspected to play a role in human diabetes.

We expect to begin intervention studies in 2008."

Science slowly marches on...
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 6:14 AM on November 13, 2007 [1 favorite]

We grew habaneros a few years back, but they turned out so damned hot that we didn't have much use for them. We made some pepper vinegar, which was great, but, you know, you need only so much pepper vinegar, so what to do with the rest? We cut them up and soaked them in Everclear, then sprayed a diluted solution of that on our garden to keep the squirrels at bay. Worked like a charm, but we had to be sure to stay out of the mist.

emjaybee, I've always been a pepper head. Recently, I've had to go on a low-sodium diet, and I've found that my desire for hot peppers has increased. When I can't put table salt on my food, I've found that a few dashes of hot sauce makes a huge difference in my enjoyment. It seems to me that salt and hot peppers work sort of the same way--too much ruins food, but just enough enhances it. De gustibus non est disputandum, and all that, of course.
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:12 AM on November 13, 2007

too much ruins food, but just enough enhances it.

IMO, the thing about hot sauce is that while it's sometimes appropriate to use it with good food, it can improve mediocre or even awful food nearly all the time.
posted by juv3nal at 1:31 PM on November 13, 2007

Was it pure tea tree oil, or was it like a soapy cleanser? Why would you think that would work? What happened when you did it? Why was it an emergency? Did it hurt? A lot? Does it stay in there and have to be flushed out? Was surgery involved?

Pure 100% essence of tea tree oil. I read on a "natural healing" site that this might work. I was just desperate to try anything, honestly. The instant it hit my eardrum it felt like super-stingy and burned like hell. As in past cases, my eardrums had both perforated from pressure from the inside and were bleeding by the time I got to the ER. No surgery, just lots of antibiotics and opiate pain killers.
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posted by wowbobwow at 8:31 AM on November 14, 2007

I am curious, though, as to how it would feel on a clitoris. Oh, come on. I dare you!

I know a guy who got intimate with his wife after chopping Serrano peppers. I think it took about two years for her to forgive him.
posted by BrotherCaine at 6:50 PM on November 14, 2007

I'm not surprised, although I'd think a year would be sufficient. :-)

I just want to clarify that I wasn't suggesting anything non-consensual. Nor do I recommend using anything hotter than Tabasco sauce, which I feel is more than adequate.
posted by Crabby Appleton at 4:59 PM on November 15, 2007

My friends and I used to eat raw habaneros for the rush. The most I ever ate--3--made my arms and legs go numb.

There is a wonderful high, of course. My trick was to do nothing, absolutely no movement or drinking or eating. Just sit and let your saliva clear it out. Water just made it worse for me, though I never tried frozen grapes. After 10 minutes, the major pain subsided. For 5-6 hours, the high better be worth it.
posted by mrgrimm at 3:15 PM on November 16, 2007

Crabby Appleton, Creme De Menthe is probably what you want to use for that kind of stimulation. You can control the level of stimulation by blowing or sucking. Sorry if that is TMI.
posted by BrotherCaine at 4:01 PM on November 16, 2007