Who is Banded Future?

Banded Future is an American hip-hop duo formed in 2021 in Los Angeles, California, consisting of rappers/singers Zap Rath and Jericho Law. In addition to their intricate lyrics, catchy melodies, and positive messages, the duo is best known for their musical abilities as both members play over a dozen musical instruments. The name Banded Future has several meanings. It projects the ideal of a more unified world. The name also refers to the duo earning their "bands" or stripes as successful veterans in the entertainment industry.

How to Grill Like a Pro: The 6 Steps to Grilling

Let's get right into business with these 6 steps for grilling.

Is your grill neither electric nor propane? It might be a gas grill. The face's buttons and knobs should tip you off. Both propane and gas grills are very convenient.

Finally, a basic grill with none of these is probably a charcoal grill, which is fun and versatile when it comes to coal arrangements. Charcoal grills give you that authentic taste you associate with BBQing and yield high temperatures!

2. Prep Your Grill

If your grill is dirty, you have to clean it. Cooking on an unclean charcoal grill will be difficult because debris and ashes block its vents. Accordingly, you'll struggle a lot with controlling the hot fire.

You should season your grill grates if you want a non-stick cooking surface. But if you're lucky and have porcelain/coated or pre-seasoned grates, skip right to the next step!

For the rest of us, we may apply a thin canola or grapeseed oil layer to the grates. You can trim excess fat with a paper towel so that it doesn't cause buildup. Try folding a paper towel to make it the size of a grill brush, soaking it with oil, and brushing it over the grates evenly.

3. Preheat Your Grill

Preheating your grill lets the flames die down before the BBQing starts. So, turn up the heat source, but don't make it so hot that you can't stand by the grill. Here's how to work each grill type:

Electric Grill

Electric grills are super easy to turn on. You plug the cords and turn its knob to high, and you're good to go! Now, close the lid, and give the grill some time to get to the needed temperature.

Propane or Gas Grill

With propane and gas grills, a valve permits the fuel source into them, which you'll find at the tank's top.

• Turn the valve counterclockwise to open it.
• Press the ignitor button, and hold it until you hear a clicking and whoosh sound.
• Release the ignitor button.
• Leave the gas grill for 10 to 15 minutes (with the lid closed).

When you think of gas BBQ vs. charcoal BBQ, you shouldn't expect gas grills to yield a temperature as high as charcoal ones. Still, what we like about gas grilling is that you can easily monitor and control the heat via the temperature dials.

Charcoal Grill

If you have a charcoal BBQ, you can use a chimney starter to light charcoal with fewer chemicals and a better taste. However, if you don't have one, a lighter fluid works as well.

• Make a charcoal pile at the center of the grill's bottom grate.
• Add the lighter fluid to the coals (not too much, though), and light them instantly.
• Wait for them to develop a light gray ash layer (5 to 10 minutes).
• Spread the burning coals around for a medium fire, or add a second charcoal layer for a hot one. Now, they're ready!

Since most or all the charcoal grills lack temperature control, you change their heat by tampering with the charcoal fire, vents, and cover. On the plus side, the rotisserie option some of them have is pretty cool!

4. Prep the Meat

Get the meat out of the fridge, and store it at room temperature, which is known as tempering. This means that it will cook evenly once it hits the heat. Then, dry it with a kitchen towel to give it a decent crust.

Now, you can use large amounts of Maldon sea salt (which isn't too salty), pepper, herbs, spices, or any seasonings to taste. We aren't trying to tell you what to do! But if you're unsure about seasoning, you might want to check out this Grilling Master box with spicy salt and sauces.

Of course, the amount of seasoning varies according to the meat type you're grilling. For instance, steak requires little seasoning.

Note that much of it will fall between the grill grates, so sprinkling spices generously is a good idea. It is also advised to season the meat about half an hour or more before it hits the grill, to give the seasonings a chance to sink in.

5. Cook the Food

Now, it's time to put that meat on the heat. Spread the pieces out so that oxygen can reach the charcoal if you're using it.

Unfortunately, there's no cheat sheet to BBQing (but we did try!); every meat type and thickness requires a different treatment. But don't abandon your honorable quest of becoming a master griller just yet! We'll give you tips about how to grill each meat type. So, skip to the one you want to learn how to grill like a pro.

SEE ALSO: Types of BBQ Sauce

In this article, we'll take a deep dive into the sizzling history of barbecue. Along the way, we'll try to answer many of your burning (pun intended) questions, including "What does BBQ stand for?" Let's dig in!

What Does BBQ Stand For?

BBQ is an abbreviation of the word "barbecue." Depending on what part of the world you're in, you might also see that BBQ stands for "barbeque," "barb-cue," or "bar-b-que."

Interestingly, tech-savvy folk may understand it to mean "Better Be Quick." However, they'll know what you mean if they're partial to meat and there's a slab of the stuff sizzling over hot coals nearby.

How Was the BBQ Abbreviation Coined?

There are multiple theories about the origins of the abbreviation.

In a 1982 issue of Tarheel magazine, it's speculated that the BBQ abbreviation traces its origins to a 19th-century bar. The bar owner coined the term "Bar Beer Cue Pig" to concisely tell prospective customers what to expect. Other bars soon copied this window advertising, and the word morphed into the abbreviation we know and love. So goes this theory.
Another theory speculates that a rancher used a brand with the initials "BQ" while roasting whole sides of beef. As the story goes, a connection between the brand and the cooking method was established, giving rise to "BBQ."

What's generally understood is you can trace the earliest use of the abbreviation to the 1930s. However, if you want an in-depth exploration of the abbreviation's origins, check out this article by Texas Monthly.

Four Types of American BBQ

Earlier, we mentioned that four American states could be credited with providing the "secret sauce" (if you will) key to evolving the modern-era barbecue. Let's take a look at the four main styles of American BBQ.

Barbecue originating from the Carolinas (North and South) are renowned for its slow-roasting pork. Carolina barbecues can be categorized into Eastern-style and Lexington-style. The difference between the two styles is the ingredient list for the sauces used on the pork.

Eastern-style barbecue throws the whole hog over a fire after slathering the pork parts in a mayonnaise-based sauce. Meanwhile, Lexington-style barbecues feature a ketchup and vinegar-based sauce to give a roasted pork shoulder some kick.

You'll be topping your meat with a sauce based on tomatoes and molasses at a Kansas-style barbecue. Speaking of meats, you'll find a broader range at these barbecues compared to what's available at Carolina-style ones. Dry-rubbed lamb, pork, and beef find their way onto the plates of attendees after being smoked in a BBQ pit.

You'll find wet and dry-rubbed ribs at a barbecue in Memphis. Usually, hosts slather a sauce on wet-rubbed meat while dry-rubbed meat gets a spice and seasoning rubdown. Then, the cooks barbecue it low and slow to get meat that practically melts off the bone.

You can't talk about American-style barbecue without mentioning Texas. In particular, South Texan barbecues feature a cow head cooking on a BBQ pit trailer. Sauces used at such barbecues have a tangy flavor to them.

Barbecues and barbecue sauce are peas in a pod, so we couldn't write about BBQ without mentioning the popular condiment.

Like barbecues, the history of the sauces drizzled over the meat goes back to the American colonial era. In 1698, the Dominican missionary Pere Labat observed cooks using lime juice and peppers for seasoning barbecued meat while visiting the French West Indies. The rest, as they say, was history.

If you're wondering, you can trace the roots of seasoning meat with lime and hot peppers to the African continent. Check out this guide for hot sauce recipes.

Braais are a national barbecue past-time in South Africa that involve large get-togethers. These barbecues are a strictly local wood and charcoal affair, so a braai that uses gas isn't considered an authentic braai.

The fire is the centerpiece of the braai, and guests gather around it to socialize. The braai's host picks the wood that stokes the fire, with camel thorn (Kameeldoring) and vinewood (Wingerd) being two of the most commonly used braai wood.
Braais are woven into the DNA of South African culture. They're used to celebrate events like birthdays, engagements, graduations, and public holidays. If it brings friends and family together, it's reason enough to get a braai going and have fun.

"Braai" is an Afrikaans word with Dutch origins. It means "to roast," which is fitting because almost any meat you can think of ends up at a braai. Some of the more exotic meats include ostrich, warthog, and eland!

Braais are usually held on weekends and start around 3 in the afternoon. Please don't go on an empty stomach, though, as they take a while to get going. So, if you've got plans to visit South Africa, add a braai to your food bucket list.

BBQ Styles From Around the World

We've established the origins of the word "barbecue" and know that they're a massive part of American culture. But how do barbecues fare in other parts of the world? Let's find out!

Second only to Kimchi, South Korean barbecues are the most famous delicacy in the country. These aren't the traditional outdoor barbecues; the vast majority happen indoors. Guests get to barbecue their meat and are seated around a grill purpose-built for the occasion.

Southern Chile houses 64 percent of the country's sheep population. So, as you can imagine, that part of the country hosts the most whole-lamb asados. These events feature a parrilero or grill master, and beer and wine flow as freely as meat does.

Braais in South Africa are a national pastime and an excellent way for friends and family to get together. These barbecues feature exotic meats you won't find anywhere else, making them a genuinely once-in-a-lifetime event if you're holidaying in the country.

You could consider Japanese Yakitori a form of urban barbecue as this street food is available widely in major cities. Yakitori is essentially chicken skewered on bamboo and grilled over charcoal.

Filipino-style barbecue features a slow-roasting (sometimes 5 hours). Cooks cram the pig with garlic, lemongrass, fruit, and leeks to season it from the inside. Also, the skin gets rubbed down with coconut water or soy sauce.

So, what are the main takeaways from this article? First, the history of barbecues is as fascinating as it is long. Second, "barbecue" - and not "barbeque" - is the correct spelling of the word, and barbecues aren't the same as grills or other outdoor activities.

The next time you find yourself at a barbecue party, enjoy your meal with a wry smile.

That's why we'll be discussing in this article everything you need to know about the types of BBQ sauces. That way, you can know which sauce to choose next time you're throwing a barbeque.

The Story of Barbecue Sauces

Barbecue sauce, commonly abbreviated as BBQ sauce, is well known as a sauce that's typically used when barbecuing. Shocker, I know.
 
However, this special little sauce is what imparts that irresistibly delicious flavor to the cooked meat, making you come back for seconds or even thirds.
 
Now, barbecue sauce can be used to marinate or baste the meat. It can be used as a simple topping or a condiment. Whichever way it's used, though, the results are sure to blow your mind and have your taste buds dancing for joy.

So, how did this wonderful sauce come about?
 
Well, the story goes that the practice of barbecuing was inspired by the tribe of the Taino. These were an indigenous group residing in the Caribbean who slow-cooked their meats over a wood grill and they called it barbacoa.
 
Eventually, the American settlers began calling it barbecue, and the slaves were tasked with cooking the meat and dressing them with sauces made of lemon juice and hot peppers, and that, ladies and gentlemen, was the birth of barbecue sauce.
 
Accordingly, barbeque sauce appeared sometime in the 17th century, when the first American colonies were being formed. As time went on, Americans continued to make homemade barbecue sauces for their meat until the first commercially-produced BBQ sauce was sold in the 1900s.

Types of American BBQ Sauces

American barbecue sauces are the pinnacle when it comes to the barbecuing culture, even outside of the United States. Whether you're looking for something sweet, salty, tangy, or spicy, you're bound to find something you like. So, let's take a dive into the world of American barbecue sauces now, shall we?

Big Bob Gibson is credited for the invention of Alabama white sauce in 1925 when he used it for his hickory-smoked chicken.
 
Since then, this sauce has become a must for barbecued chicken (and sometimes pork), and now it's extremely popular in the areas around Decatur. The creamy/milky mixture of vinegar, mayonnaise, and pepper really enhances the flavor of whatever you're eating, and you can use it as a dipping sauce, marinade, or dressing for your meals.

Eastern North Carolina
 
The eastern North Carolina BBQ sauce is the epitome of back to the basics, and it's totally tomato-free. This sauce is typically made of apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, hot sauce, salt, black pepper, and water. This is very similar to our Southern Braai - Fermented Vintage BBQ Sauce. The spicy and acidic African cuisine from the 1800s is a source of inspiration for eastern North Carolina's BBQ sauce, so this makes perfect sense. Typically, when it comes to soaking and marinating pork, this sauce is used, as it can cut through the greasiness like a knife through butter.
 
Western North Carolina
 
West North Carolina BBQ sauce is also called Piedmont or Lexington-style dip, after the city where it was prevalent.
 
It's similar to its eastern brethren, just with a hint of ketchup and brown sugar thrown in to tame the vinegar tang. Accordingly, it's also excellent for cooked pork shoulder or pulled pork sandwiches. However, this vinegar sauce has more of a reddish tint, with a sweeter taste and slightly thicker consistency.

This barbecue sauce is known as Carolina gold, and it can be used as a condiment or a mop sauce. It's thought to have originated when Germans came to settle in the state, bringing mustard with them.
 
This Carolina-style sauce is typically made with plain yellow mustard. However, some varieties add vinegar and extra spices for more of a zing. So, if you're looking for something sweet, it's best to look for another sauce altogether cause you won't be getting it with this South Carolina sauce.

While it's not as well known as some of the most ubiquitous BBQ sauces, Florida BBQ sauce is truly unique and flavorsome. It's inspired by the vinegar-based Carolina-style BBQ sauces, but it contains unique Cuban and Caribbean ingredients, bringing a tropical flavor to the sauce. Normally, you'd baste your meat or fish with this sauce and then wait for it to cook.

The Baltimore-style sauce is a twist on the typical BBQ sauces. There's no brown sugar, ketchup, or vinegar in this sauce. It's simply made with a mixture of mayonnaise and horseradish, resulting in a creamy Tiger Sauce.
 
Now, the horseradish makes the sauce quite spicy. However, you know what they say; the spicier, the more addictive. Normally, this sauce is served with pit beef sandwiches, which are the perfect embodiment of crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Kansas-City-style sauce is what you want when you want a touch of sweetness on your slow-smoked meats.
 
It's made of ketchup and sweetened with brown sugar or molasses. Then, to give the sauce a richer and deeper flavor, other spices and ingredients are added, like soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and vinegar.
 
As such, Kansas City barbecue sauce is absolutely heavenly on pork ribs. Just make sure to put on this sauce after you've slow-smoked your meat to prevent the sugar from burning.

St. Louis BBQ sauce is one of the tomato and sugar sauces. It's basically the thinner and tangier version of Kansas-City barbecue sauce as it contains more vinegar, less sugar, and a hint of spice. It goes perfectly on the mouth-watering St. Louis ribs, which are famous for their rectangular and flat appearance.

Memphis-style barbecue sauce is a bit obscure, though Memphis-style BBQ itself is well-known.
 
That's because Memphis is known for its dry ribs that don't require any sauces. However, Memphis also offers wet ribs, which are marinated and covered in a sauce before, during, and after the cooking process. Memphis-style BBQ sauce generally has the thinner consistency of St. Louis and the sweetness of Kansas City Barbecue sauce.

It makes perfect sense that the state of the cowboys would come up with a totally bold sauce, which is the Texas-style BBQ sauce. This sauce is made using meat drippings, cumin, Worcestershire sauce hot sauce, garlic, and red chili powder. However, despite the multiple ingredients, this sauce is pretty thin.
 
That's exactly why it's used as a glaze for the meat. However, Texas-style BBQ sauces that act as mop sauces will have slightly more ingredients like beef stock, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Types of BBQ Sauces From Around the World

So, for the previous heading, you'd think that Americans were the only ones serious about barbecue sauce. However, I'm happy to announce that BBQ sauce is a staple in a lot of different cultures, even if they're less popular than the American one. So, where else can you find BBQ sauces in the world?

In Central America, most steaks come with a spicy tomato sauce on the side called chirmol. Think of it as Mexican salsa, but it's totally different at the same time due to the addition of oil, lime juice, and vinegar. It can come in a cooked or uncooked version depending on the restaurant you're eating in, so make sure you know which one you want before ordering.

Many different sauces go with grilled and barbecued meats in South America. There's Pebre, the herby and spicy salsa from Chile. Chimichurri is also found in Argentina. These sauces are similar, but they still have some significant differences that make each one a separate entity.

South African barbecue, also known as a braai, is also famous for having its special barbecue sauce. This sauce is made using fermented chili, white vinegar, cane sugar, molasses, pimento, bay leaves, cloves, and other special ingredients that make it taste out of this world. You can use this sauce as a marinade, basting sauce, and dipping sauce.
 
The South African Braai sauce is usually served with ribs, lamb chops, steak, and even hot dogs, but it can also be put on poultry, fish, or vegetables.
 
Braais are more than a simple BBQ, it's a whole day experience and an integral part of South African culture. There is even a national holiday for it!

In Guam, chicken and pork are eaten with a barbecue sauce named Finadene. This is a tangy sauce based on vinegar, onion, and soy sauce with a few chilis thrown in. When adding the sauce to grilled seafood, it amplifies the umami flavor tenfold, making your tongue dance for joy.

Vegetarian Uses for BBQ Sauce

Now, just because you're vegetarian doesn't mean that barbecue sauce is out the window. You can still add barbecue sauce to plenty of plant-based foods to transform them for the better.
 
Some options you have for BBQ sauce include fried and baked tofu, baked beans as well as roasted squash, and pumpkin. You can also go with pulled jackfruit sandwiches, cauliflower, chickpeas, coleslaw, veggie burgers, and really any veggie dish.

Well, the answer here totally depends on your preference.
 
If you want something sweet, then go with a tomato-based BBQ Sauce like Kansas city or St. Louis. For a deep, flavorful BBQ sauce, go with South African Braai sauce or the Baltimore sauce. If you want some more spice, consider even using a peri-peri hot sauce. There are no strict rules when it comes to grilling! Finally, if you're more into a tangy sauce, then the Carolina-style BBQ sauces will do the trick. Just figure out what you want, and you'll be all good.

Impressively, bhut jolokia once held the Guinness world records for the world's hottest pepper, though other peppers have dethroned it. Nevertheless, the ghost pepper is still so plenty spicy that many people fear eating it, and for good reason. So, should you eat ghost peppers or condiments made with them? And if you do, will you get hurt? Keep on reading to find out all this and more.

What Happens When You Eat Spicy Food?

Whether you throw on some hot sauce or full-on eat a ghost pepper, this is what happens to your body.

1. Intraoral Phase

Basically, chili peppers contain a chemical called capsaicin. This is the component that makes chili peppers hot and spicy. It can irritate the living heck out of the mouth and skin of any mammal.

How it works:

• Capsaicin binds to the TRPV1 pain receptors on the tongue in addition to free nerve endings responsible for detecting heat.
• Then, these receptors start sending signals to the brain, telling it that something majorly wrong is happening. Something that's hot and painful.
• Your tongue is tricked by your brain into thinking that it is on fire, so it tries to put out that fire. That's exactly why you start to feel hot when you eat super hot peppers. It's also why you start to sweat and pant as if you've been through a race.
• Your blood vessels dilate, and you turn red, then your eyes water, you start drooling, and get a runny nose.
• Essentially, you turn into a flushed, sweating, slobbering, crying mess. Simply because your body is trying its best to flush out the irritant while also trying to cool itself down.

So, what do you do when this happens?

You look for the nearest glass of water and try to drown out the spicy heat. Now, while you may think that water can help, it actually can't. It can only bring about momentary relief, but once it's gone, the fiery sensation will resume.

But for how long?

Thankfully, the heat won't last for all that long. For about 20 to 30 minutes, though it may feel like an eternity when you're in the throes of spiciness. In this period of time, the receptors will dislodge and neutralize the capsaicin chemical. Leaving your mouth completely unscathed.

How to Stay Safe While Eating Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce?

There really isn't all that much you have to do. But here are some top tips that will help you stay safe:

• Just put on as much as you can handle and preferably wear gloves if you'll be eating with your hands.
• If you're tearing up, make sure to avoid touching your eyes, or you'll deeply regret this action. Your eyes can feel pain just as much as your tongue, so be careful. Then take off your gloves and wash your hands thoroughly.
• If you feel that the spice level is too much for you take a swig of milk or open up that tub of vanilla ice cream. The fats in many milk-based products, as well as a protein called casein, will break down the capsaicin. This leads to an ease in the pain sensation.
• Some people claim that alcohol is also a good spice diffuser, though this isn't 100% true. It's better to chew some carbs or stick with dairy products. Weirdly enough, acidic ingredients like tomatoes or lime juice are great at dulling the pain. So, remember to pick one of the previous suggestions if you ever feel overwhelmed, then continue on with your meal.

So, can ghost pepper sauce hurt you?  Normally, eating a ghost pepper or ghost pepper sauce can't really hurt you. As we said, it only causes a painful burning sensation, but it isn't actually doing any damage.

Nevertheless, it can hurt if you've got an underlying condition or if you eat an insane amount in one sitting.
Candidly, ghost peppers can cause seizures, heart attacks, and even death. However, that's only if you eat more than 1/50th of your body weight, which equates to 3 pounds for the average person, and who in their right mind would eat that amount willingly?

Sure, you may have heard of a couple of people going to the hospital after having eaten pureed ghost pepper or Carolina Reaper. However, these cases are extremely rare and usually happen at ghost pepper eating contests that require participants to eat enormous amounts at insanely high rates.

That means the average joe who likes ghost pepper sauce will be fine as long as he's healthy and sensible. The maximum risk that comes with eating a ghost pepper product is a stinging sensation all over your mouth.

Nonetheless, some people are better off forgoing chili pepper altogether. For example, if you've got acid reflux and heartburn, any and all liquid or powdered capsaicin-rich peppers will only worsen your symptoms. The same goes if you suffer from stomach ulcers, gallbladder diseases, Crohn's disease, Celiac disease, or ulcerative colitis.

When you eat a ghost pepper, you won't end up with a stomach ulcer. However, the past world's spiciest pepper will definitely make it feel a whole lot worse. Likewise, if you have IBS, the spiciness won't result in more inflammation, but your bowels won't like it, and it'll let you know.

To sum it up, ghost peppers are absolutely safe for you to eat as long as you're not allergic or suffering from a gastrointestinal problem.

Bhut jolokia, known as ghost pepper in the western world, is a painfully delicious chili pepper that's used in various sauces and dishes all over the world, including our African Ghost Pepper Sauce.

While it's no longer the world's hottest pepper, it's still spicy enough to knock your socks off but not to warrant a hospital visit. At the absolute worst, you may experience a case of the runs, but other than that, you'll be just a-okay.

Now, if you're a hot pepper enthusiast, then you've probably heard of the legendary ghost pepper. Since its introduction to the western world in the 2000s, this bad boy has been in the spotlight for over a decade due to its addictive taste and spiciness. Accordingly, ghost pepper sauces became especially popular with many spice lovers.

Though it was well-known locally, it was an otherwise obscure pepper to the rest of India. However, ghost pepper exploded in popularity, both nationally and Internationally, when in 2000 the Indian Defense Test Laboratory discovered its Scoville rating. The rating was more than double the existing world champion, the Red Savina. Accordingly, ghost pepper sauces became incredibly popular with many spice lovers.

Still, as popular as ghost pepper sauce is, few really know how hot it is. So, let's dive into the world of ghost peppers and get ready to have your mind blown once you discover the Scoville rating.

What Is Scoville (SHU)?

To truly appreciate how spicy ghost pepper is, you first need to understand what the Scoville scale/Scoville rating is.

Quite simply, the Scoville scale is a way of measuring how hot or spicy a chili pepper is. It was created in 1912 by pharmacist Wilbur Scoville and has been the most popular measurement of spiciness.

Now, as you may already know, capsaicinoids, particularly capsaicin, are the components in chili peppers responsible for the spiciness. This means that the more capsaicin there is in a pepper, the more you'll feel like a human flamethrower.

That being so, the Scoville scale works by determining just how much capsaicin is present in a chili pepper, giving each pepper an appropriate number of Scoville Heat Units, aka SHU.

How Are Scoville Heat Units Measured?

Thankfully, understanding how the Scoville test works isn't too complicated.

Basically, you get a chili pepper or hot sauce and see how many times you need to dilute its capsaicin content with a sugar-water solution until you can no longer detect any spiciness or burning sensation. Accordingly, the more you need to dilute a pepper until it's no longer spicy, the more capsaicin and number of Scoville Heat Units it has.

Now, admittedly, the Scoville test is a bit subjective. Since it mostly depends on the feedback from a panel of humans, things can be a bit inaccurate. That's because each human palate is unique and varies rather significantly from person to person. So, what one person can perceive as spicy, another may think it's not.

As such, a different method of heat measurement called high-performance liquid chromatography was invented to eliminate the human variable in the Scoville test.

Nevertheless, to this day, the Scoville scale remains the dominant measurement of spiciness, where it's widely used by both food lovers and experts all over the world.

What Will You Experience When You Eat Ghost Pepper?

Here's a quick rundown about what your body goes through when you take a bite of ghost pepper:

1. 1. First off, your tongue and other parts of your mouth will start feeling like a house set on fire. That's because capsaicin binds to the heat and pain receptors of your mouth. This then tells your brain that something damaging is going on. However, despite any pain, you may be feeling at this point, it's important you know that no actual damage occurs.
   2. Your body will start trying to contain the situation going on in your mouth by trying to cool itself down. Accordingly, you'll start sweating and panting, and the blood will rush to your face.
   3. You'll also start tearing up and drooling, in addition to getting an extremely embarrassing runny nose. This happens in order to flush out the capsaicin offenders as fast as possible. You may also get a case of hiccups, but it won't last for long.
   4. Occasionally, when a chili pepper is hot enough, some people can get diarrhea as a side effect. This occurs as a result of capsaicin pulling lots of water into the intestines. Still, the bout isn't too awful, so don't worry too much about it.
   5. Finally, when the peppers are ready to come out the other end, you may experience a slight burning sensation. Just keep in mind that this burning will be much worse if you've got hemorrhoids or a similar anal ailment. So, stave off the ghost pepper sauce until you're feeling better.

SEE ALSO: Can Ghost Pepper Hurt You? 

Ghost pepper sauce is ridiculously hot due to the significant amount of capsaicin it contains. However, that doesn't mean it's not palatable.

People may use ghost peppers to ward off elephants, but they also add flavor to any dish. Moreover, they can drastically improve your mood and have numerous health benefits.

So, if you've got a good spice tolerance and you'd like to challenge your limits, then make sure to get yourself a bottle of our very own African Ghost Pepper Sauce. Not only will it knock your socks off, but it'll have you coming back for more due to its tastiness. And if you're not sure how to pair your food with ghost pepper sauce, you can always look for inspiration right here.

The African civet has striking black and white spots, a black stripe across its eyes, and its hind legs are longer than its front legs. Safe to say it’s a strange creature in South Africa. African civets are the only remaining member of their genetic group and although they appear cat-like, they are not feline at all but are more closely related to small carnivores like weasels and Mongoose. They are found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa in densely vegetated “jungle” regions and feed on small rodents, lizards, snakes, and frogs but are also known to enjoy berries and fallen fruits.

Fun fact—African civets secrete a musk (civetone) to mark their territory that has been used in the perfume manufacturing industry for centuries.

Ever find yourself pondering… what are some cute African animals... what is the cutest animal in Africa…what is the cutest animal ever? Us too, and the answer is the African Klipspringer. Klipspringers are herbivores native to Southern Africa. Their name means “rock-jumpers” in Afrikaans and, as their name suggests, they live in rocky, arid landscapes. At their tallest Klipspringers might grow to two feet and they weigh between 18 and 40 pounds.

Fun fact— klipspringers walk on the tips of their hooves as an adaptation to their rocky terrain.

Just like with the klipspringer, it’s all in the name and bat-eared foxes have enormous ears, especially in comparison to their heads, similar to bats. Native to Southern Africa, Botswana, and Kenya. They primarily feed on termites and are an important part of termite control for the ecosystem. Unfortunately, these beautiful and unusual bush foxes are considered valuable for their pelts and human populations are encroaching on their habitats.

Fun fact— A single bat-eared foxes can eat up to 1.15 million termites per year.

What is the smallest animal in Africa? Don’t let the “elephant” in elephant shrew fool you, it might just be the elephant shrew. These tiny creatures have distinctive “trunk-like” noses that help them feast on insects like ants, millipedes, termites, and worms. They generally live in couples and are mostly found in the Democratic Republic of Congo but sadly their population is rapidly declining due to deforestation and lack of access to food because of drought, fire, land division and deforestation.

Fun fact— Elephant shrews share more genetic make-up with elephants, aardvarks, and manatees than with mice.

Is it a zebra? Is it a horse? A giraffe? Well, it’s sort of all three. The okapi is a strange African animal native to the Democratic Republic of Congo (they used to be found in Uganda as well but are sadly now extinct there). They have horse-like bodies, long giraffe necks, and zebra stripes down their legs. Also, they live in dense forests both dry and wet, and are herbivores that feed on leaves, grass, shoots, and fungi.

Fun fact— okapi have four stomachs and don’t defecate for the first few months of their lives.

The black rain frog has a perpetual frown on its face and when threatened it puffs up, enlarging its body to seem intimidating. This frog is found off the Southern Coast of Africa at elevations of up to 3,300 feet. It doesn’t need open water to survive as it is a burrowing species and can create tunnels of up to six inches deep to find water and insects for feeding. This sad avocado-looking creature is definitely a weird African animal!

Fun fact— during mating, females secrete a sticky substance to ensure males don’t slide off.

They are also known as spiny bush vipers, and are vibrant green vipers are small in size but lethal in toxicity. They are native to Central Africa and feed on mammals, birds, lizards, and frogs. Their claim to fame is their spiky, dragon-like dorsal scales that protect them from predators.

Fun fact—prickly bush vipers have prehensile (capable of grasping) tails that allow them to hang upside down.

The gerenuk, also known as the giraffe gazelle, is an antelope species found in East Africa. They are extremely shy and so little is known about their diet and behavior. What we do know is that gerenuks can stand on their hind legs and use their very long necks to reach into thorny trees. They live and travel in herds and only the males have horns.

Fun fact—“gerenuk” means giraffe-necked in Somali.

On our list of 12 weird yet adorable animals, you might be wondering which animal is only found in Africa? The answer is all of them, except the dugong, are solely found on the African continent making them that much more unique. Each one is part of a complex African ecosystem and if you’re wondering which is the most random animal? There isn’t one. They all play a part in sustaining vegetation, keeping population numbers down, and are integral in balancing natural life cycles.

Sadly, every one of the weird African animal on this list is also under threat. Mass deforestation, land degradation and division, poaching, and climate change are disrupting delicate ecosystems. Take this list as a call to action, if you didn’t know these animals existed imagine how many more species are out there that rely on conservation efforts. African Dream Foods has made it our mission to be a part of wildlife conservation and we hope you’ll join us in our efforts. With every bottle sold we donate between .10 and .40 cents to African wildlife conservation organizations, protecting the planet and its inhabitants has never been this easy (or delicious).

For instance, according to chef and author of The Flavor Matrix—James Briscione, chili peppers “have these big powerful fruit aromas” that are often lost because of their heat. So, incorporating fruit into a hot sauce elevates the sweet and tropical undertones of the pepper and eases some of the burn.

The habanero, one of the spicier of the capsicum pepper genus, can be described as “fruity, citrus-like, and floral” despite its heat. It’s considered an “excellent aromatic match” with bell pepper, apricot brandy, and pineapple. Try experimenting with the match by adding our Habanasco-Fermented Habanero Sauce to a pineapple salsa. The combo works because they share molecular flavor compounds, not to be mistaken for molecular taste compounds that relate to smell and not taste… or is it taste and not smell? Confused? So are we.

Basically, you don’t need to be a scientist or a chef to understand how to pair flavors together, and when it comes to hot sauce, as a general rule contrast is your friend. Here at African Dream Foods, we’ve put together some of our own pairings to inspire you on your hot sauce pairing journey.

African Ghost Pepper Sauce

The hottest in the African Dream Foods repertoire, this sauce is perfect for a blast of heat in dairy-rich or sweet foods that can sustain a tasty kick in the stomach. It’s described as “not for spice amateurs” however, pairing it with creamy mac and cheese will help cushion the blow.

You could also try our Ghost Pepper Spicy Cornbread recipe that uses buttermilk and sugar to cut the heat resulting in a sweet, hot flavor explosion that will appease both Northern and Southern cornbread connoisseurs.

Sweet Dream Sauce

This sauce has a sweet chutney consistency with a tingly hint of spice.

It’s mild and more of a glaze than a hot sauce and so it pairs perfectly with salty foods. It elevates any cheese board but works especially well with briny salty cheeses like halloumi and feta. Its sticky, sweetness also makes the perfect pork marinade. Use it as jam on a bagel, or actually, have it by the spoonful while nibbling on whatever you can find. This one’s so good, we’re pretty sure you can pair it with almost anything.

As much as you love spicy food, you’re probably wondering, how do you make your mouth stop burning? Here are the steps you should take if you feel like the spicy taste in your mouth is too much to handle.

Contrary to popular belief, water isn’t your knight in shining armor when it comes to spicy food; dairy products are!
 
The first thing you should do to get rid of the spicy taste in your mouth is to look for any dairy products, preferably milk. Those are commonly found in most houses, so it shouldn’t be challenging to find one. But why does milk help with spicy food?
 
A glass of milk will do wonders for the burning sensation in your mouth because, first of all, milk has a protein called casein. One of the most famous roles of casein is breaking down capsaicin, which is the main culprit in spicy food.
 
Casein works as a cleanser in this case as it attracts capsaicin molecules and washes them away so they can no longer burn your mouth. That’s why we recommend you drink milk, not any other dairy products because some of them don’t contain casein and won’t cool your mouth down. However, some products contain casein, such as yogurt, sour cream, and cottage cheese.
 
Kindly note that this doesn’t go for coconut milk and almond milk.

Most people order soda with spicy food so they can chug it while eating. However, this might worsen the burning pain and heat on your tongue. Aside from the fact that sodas are mostly made of water, they also cause fizzing in your mouth.
 
This fizzing will overstimulate your pain receptors that are already having a panic attack in your mouth. As a result, your mouth will feel much worse than before. Instead, you should order lemonade or orange juice with your spicy dish.

Now that you’ve cooled down the heat in your mouth and got rid of the spicy taste, you should know the main reason for your suffering in the first place. As we’ve previously mentioned, capsaicin is to blame here. It’s an active component and irritant that you can find in all spicy foods.
 
Capsaicin works by binding to a group of receptors in your mouth that go by VR1 receptors. Those receptors are mainly responsible for warning you about burning your mouth. They do that by detecting heat and sending signals to the brain to act up.
 
Capsaicin stimulates those heat receptors and activates them. But, of course, in the case of eating a dish full of spice, your mouth isn’t burning. Nevertheless, your brain is manipulated to think so.
 
As a result, your body puts up the defense mechanisms to put out the fire in your mouth. That’s why you’ll immediately feel a rise in your heart rate and tears in your eyes. In addition, you’ll start sweating to cool down your body. Those reactions are a result of your body producing adrenaline.
 
After reading this, you’ll probably start thinking about the wicked reason that leads people to eat those manipulative foods that cause waves of heat to attack their mouths. However, we have an explanation.
 
Eating spicy food causes your body to release endorphins in response to pain, which are the chemicals responsible for happiness in your brain. So if you’re feeling down, we highly recommend you cook a spicy dish, but make sure to keep a glass of milk within your reach for quick pain relief.

Quick! Your hot sauce is on the brink of expiration and you don’t want to waste this spicy goodness! Well here are some ideas on how to use it in your everyday cooking!

• Add a vinegar-based hot sauce to brownies, yes we know that this sounds bizarre but chili and chocolate is actually a classic combination and the vinegar will react with the baking soda, giving your brownie a little lift and a much-needed kick!
• Take your favorite hot sauce and add it to meat marinades, if there is vinegar in the sauce this will work to help tenderize your meat!
• Mix it into dips, or add to your next pot of bean chili for an extra kick.
• Add your hot sauce to some butter and toss it through your next batch of popcorn.
• Every time you have guests over, stick it on the table as a condiment on its own, we promise your spicy-loving friends will help you finish off your sauce.

Despite the agony and heat of capsaicin’s effect in our mouths, there’s no denying that spicy food has a kind of magic that manipulates us to keep eating it. As a result of excessive indulging in spicy foods, some people worry about the health of their tongues and taste buds. However, we’re here to reassure you!
 
Heat and taste sensations aren’t translated by the same receptors in your mouth. And capsaicin only works on your heat receptors. As a result, no matter how hot your tongue will feel, your taste buds will stay intact because they aren’t triggered as much as heat ones.
 
Not to mention, all the hotness you’re feeling is nothing but a devious trick played well by your mind. You aren’t actually burning. As a result, you can eat as much spicy food as you want without damaging your tongue. Just make sure you have milk in your fridge first!
 
However, we can’t say the same about the rest of your body. If you suffer from any gastrointestinal issues, especially ulcers, you should stay away from spices. It might worsen your ulcers if you already have them or cause them altogether.

Actually, you can get rid of the spicy taste in food the same way you get rid of it in your mouth. Of course, it differs according to the dish you’re cooking. You can’t add milk or chocolates to any meal! However, for example, if you’re preparing a delicious chili, you can complement it with a gallop of sour cream on top.
 
In addition to its beautifying effect, the sour cream will also tone down the spice taste a bit. Therefore, you won’t be sweating loads throughout your whole meal. The same goes for any dairy product you have. For instance, you can add milk to a soup to thicken its texture and balance its taste.
 
On the other hand, if you’re preparing any sauce, you can add sugar to lessen the spice effect. It’ll add a delicious flavor to your sauce without affecting the dish too much. If you don’t eat sugar for health-related reasons, you can use honey instead.
 
Finally, one of the easiest additions to any meal you’re cooking is acid. You can add vinegar or lime to nearly any food on the planet. They’ll complement your dish without changing its flavor, and they’ll successfully make your spicy food more edible.
 
You can also get creative with your spicy meals and add other ingredients like yogurt and tomato juice. If you already finished cooking and aren’t willing to make any changes to your plate, you can simply serve a glass of milk next to your dish to control the pain!

Does Getting Rid of Spicy Taste Decrease Capsaicin’s Health Benefits?

It’s a known fact that capsaicin has many health benefits that people often disregard amidst the spice dilemma. However, it’s been proved that capsaicin can greatly enhance your metabolism and energy expenditure. Not to mention, the fact that it’s spicy prevents you from overeating. Therefore, you’ll have a smaller chance of getting obese.
 
As a result, some people worry that if they add spice taste suppressants like milk to their meal, capsaicin will no longer be beneficial. However, we’re here to prove them wrong! Using sugar or milk to get rid of the spicy taste in your food won’t affect capsaicin’s benefits. This is because they merely calm down your taste buds while you’re eating till you swallow your food.
 
But you’ll still fully digest the capsaicin, and it’ll be broken down in your liver. Consequently, you’ll still enjoy the metabolism-enhancing properties that the spicy compound generously provides.

Frequently Asked Questions

To Wrap Up

Spicy food is a guilty pleasure that we all like to enjoy from time to time. However, there’s no denying that it causes unfavorable burning in our mouths. To make the burning more bearable or even cool it down completely, there are a few tricks that you can try out.
 
First of all, you can drink some milk or eat other dairy products like yogurt and sour cream. They’ll alter the spicing effect of capsaicin in just a few minutes. As an alternative, you can munch on a delicious piece of chocolate or take a spoonful of honey.
 
Second, you can drink lemon or orange juice to neutralize the spicy flavor. Now that you know enough about the topic, you can enjoy your spicy food!

How Do You Make Homemade Hot Sauce?

Jump to recipe

The basics of hot sauces are the same regardless of what ingredients you’ll use. You’ll mix hot peppers, vinegar, salt, and other ingredients that vary from one hot sauce recipe to another, such as citrus juice, vegetables, fruits, and choice of seasonings.

So, here’s everything that you need to make hot sauce at home as a beginner. Let's start with the ingredients.

Peppers

Peppers are the most essential ingredient in a hot sauce recipe. One of the best things about peppers is that there are so many of them. Regardless of the culture or cuisine, you’ll find a local variety of pepper that spices up countless recipes.

Pick the right type of hot pepper according to heat level, which is categorized according to its rank on the Scoville Scale and is measured in Scoville Heat Units or SHU. The higher the units on the Scoville Scale, the hotter the pepper will be and vice versa.

For example, bell pepper is 0 SHU because it’s not spicy at all. Tabasco ranges from 100 to 5000 units, jalapeño ranges from 2500 to 8000 units, cayenne ranges from 30000 to 50000 units, Scotch Bonnet ranges from 100000 to 350000 units, and so on.

Some people also love to use dried pepper in their recipes, while others prefer powdered ones. Each choice has its own fans according to the flavors they want out of their hot sauces. However, note that adding water when using dried peppers is necessary to maintain the right consistency.

In our jalapeño hot sauce recipe, we’ll use fresh green jalapeños. They’re a good place to start.

Vinegar and Citrus Juice

Just like peppers, there’s a lot to choose from when it comes to vinegar while making hot sauce. You can use white distilled vinegar, apple cider vinegar, malt vinegar, red wine vinegar, and more. The point is you can mix and match however you want in a homemade recipe, which makes it so much fun.

Even better, you can make the hot sauce by adding citrus juice to the mix or even replacing vinegar with citrus juice altogether. Options include lemon juice and orange juice. Each choice adds a different taste so that there’s something for everyone.

In our recipe, we’ll use white vinegar.

Vegetables and Fruits

What kind of chunky bits do you want in your unique hot sauce recipes? Now, that’s a good question to ask. Veggies and fruits are crucial ingredients that can dramatically elevate your recipe beyond the beginner level.

The most common plants in hot sauces besides spicy peppers are tomatoes and carrots. They’re so versatile, and their constant availability makes them attractive and wanted in most recipes.

While veggies are considered the basics of hot sauces, fruits bring sweetness and character to the overall flavor. The most commonly used fruits are lemons, oranges, tangerines, mangoes, cherries, peaches, apples, blueberries, kiwis, dates, guavas, and pineapples.

Seasonings and Salt

Now is the part where you can experiment with seasonings and salt. There are no rules here; you can go crazy. You can incorporate garlic, onion, ginger, ginger, cumin, coriander, parsley, and even sugar or honey in your original recipes.

Equipment Needed

You’ll need rubber gloves to protect your hands. And the cutting board is essential for you to cut the peppers on. Also, you’ll use the knife to remove the excess membrane, slice, and dice. Plus, you need a saucepan for the cooking part.

The food processor/blender is a must to blend your mix. After blending, you’ll get a strainer to remove the pulp. Finally, the glass bottles, jars, or containers are for storage or serving purposes, of course.

Fermented Hot Sauce

The difference between fermented and non-fermented fresh recipes is that fermented ones last longer and are believed to be even healthier. The most popular chili peppers that people ferment are jalapenos and habaneros.

Benefits of Fermenting Hot Sauce

How to make Fermented Hot Sauce

Types of Hot Sauce Around the World

There’s an abundance of styles of hot sauces all over the world. Learning about international hot sauce styles enables you to experiment with your menu by using ingredients in your kitchen that you didn’t know would make a delicious hot sauce.

These recipes use local varieties of pepper with different levels of heat, and each recipe brings an ingredient or two that another one doesn’t use at all.

North America

Louisiana Style
When it comes to hot sauces, it doesn’t get more American than that. The Southern staple utilizes fresh or fermented, traditionally red peppers mixed with white wine vinegar and salt. Americans pair it with anything, from pizza and eggs to meat marinades and stir-fry.

Buffalo Sauce
Buffalo wings make no sense without their best friend, buffalo sauce. It incorporates cayenne peppers, vinegar, garlic, and butter to create a juicy classic staple in the world of chicken wings.

Cholula
Most lovers of Mexican food are here for the spices. As a result, Cholula definitely belongs on the list. It uses some vinegar with red hot Arbol peppers or Piquin peppers, which are 5 to 8 times hotter than jalapeños, thanks to measuring at 30000 to 60000 units on the Scoville Scale.

Salsa Picante
Of course, we couldn’t mention only one style of hot Mexican sauces. Chipotle, habanero, jalapeño, and pequin chilies all play a role in this hot sauce. It has a thinner consistency than its American counterparts, as it puts a larger emphasis on peppers than anything else.

Hawaiian
Hawaiian chili pepper water is basically Hawaiian chili peppers, ginger, vinegar, garlic, and water. It’s an interesting choice for anyone who wants a thinner consistency but still a little bit of heat in their kitchen.

South America

Ají Amarillo
The most popular item in Peruvian cuisine, the Ají Amarillo paste needs the Ají Amarillo or locally available yellow chilies, garlic, olive oil, and salt. After you make the paste, you can use it as is or mix it with mayonnaise, sour cream, tomato paste, shallots, lime juice, salt, and pepper.

Pebre
Here comes the famous Chilean recipe, Pebre. It uses Ají, green, or red hot peppers. In addition, you’ll need coriander, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and cilantro. A little bit of Chile on your scrambled eggs can definitely upgrade your breakfast.

The Caribbean

Scotch Bonnet
Scotch Bonnet peppers are crucial in Jamaican cuisine. They’re full of different flavors that will make you feel like a chef in your kitchen. Besides the peppers, the recipe uses salt, vinegar, garlic, onion, lime juice, cumin, carrot, cucumber, chayote, mango, and pineapple.

Habanero
If you want a little taste of Belize, try the Belizean habanero chili sauce. What sets it apart is the reliance on carrots, along with Habanero peppers, garlic, lime juice, vinegar, salt, onion, tomatoes, and olive oil, of course.

Asia

Sriracha
The most famous sauce in Thailand and Vietnam, Sriracha, is a staple in every Asian kitchen. It’s a little bit mild because while it uses a paste of chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, and salt, it also uses sugar for a classic vinegary sweetness.

Gochujang
If you haven’t tried Korean chili sauces, you’ve been missing out. Besides chili powder and salt, it stands out with fermented soybean paste, sticky rice, and a sweetener. As a result, its viscosity and sweetness make it memorable.

The Middle East and Africa

Muhammara
The Middle Eastern spread or dip also plays on this unique hot yet sweet aspect. Muhammara is roasted red peppers, garlic, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, toasted walnuts, breadcrumbs, cayenne, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Once you taste it, you’ll know what it means to get lost in the sauce.

Harissa
Harissa, commonly used in North African sauces, dishes, and stews, will change your kitchen once you taste it. It’s made of roasted ground red chiles, cumin, garlic, dried mint, coriander, paprika, lemon, salt, and olive oil.

Shatta
Shatta is an Egyptian sauce that you’ll commonly find in North Africa and the Middle East. It has a thicker consistency because it consists of ground chiles, olive oil, tomato paste, parsley, and coriander.

What Can You Do With Extra Hot Sauce?

You can do so much with leftover homemade hot sauces that goes beyond just using them as a condiment in your recipes.

If you want to make your burgers more interesting, you can drizzle a little bit of hot sauce on top. Hot sauces also bring life to salads, so why not add them to vinaigrettes or ranch? If you’re feeling bolder, you can use leftover chili sauce in making Mexican hot chocolate to keep you warm.

As you can see, nothing is stopping you from making your own hot sauces at home. There are basic ingredients that most people use, and you can make the rest your own.

You can serve the pepper sauce right away or even age it for a more complex taste, more health benefits, and longer shelf life. There are plenty of world recipes to take inspiration from. From Mexico to Egypt, you can bring a piece of any type of cuisine you love into your kitchen.