Avoid contact with eyes. Possible side effects include burning and irritation of the skin. Consumption may cause elevated heart rate, excessive perspiration, watering of the eyes and social humiliation. Taste buds be warned: chili peppers can be as dangerous as they are delicious.
So why do we ignore the risks and keep consuming these volatile vegetables?
For some it starts at a neurological level, with the endorphin release triggered by the painfully spicy sensation of the pepper. Others can’t resist a dare and test their tongues’ tolerance expressly to push the pain threshold. For macho men, skipping out on hot foods means wimpdom, a stigma that burns far worse than the chili pepper itself.
Then there are the few who really respect the pepper as a varied and beautiful subspecies and a crucial ingredient in many cuisines. Jarrett Man is a member of this rare breed. He appreciates the chili pepper so much he holds a festival in its honor.
The brainchild of Jarrett Man and Katie Richardson, the tag team behind Stone Soup Farm, Chilifest celebrates the diversity and versatility of the chili pepper at the peak of its season, from late August to early September. It’s an annual abbreviated world tour of the chili, contained within the perimeters of the Belchertown farm and condensed into one afternoon of taste testing. There’s really no need to travel far for topnotch selection; with over 30 varieties on tap this year, Chilifesters may even find the circuit of samples too vast to navigate successfully.
From the mildly flavorful to the satanically hot, chili peppers run the gamut of spiciness. And until that first bite, the pepper’s punch remains a mystery. A pepper’s superficial properties, like color, size and shape, don’t indicate the intensity of the spice within. Skin pigmentation is just a product of chemical interaction with the sun, not a reliable gauge of flavor, except in the case of peppers with a pale green hue—the mark of a chili’s immaturity. While you shouldn’t judge a pepper by its color, it’s perfectly acceptable to gawk at its appearance.
Take the Pretty Purple, for example. Looking more like an oompa-loompa than a chili, this bulbous, plump pepper is coveted for its novelty, not its taste. A treasure of a chili, the black pearl packs a lot of heat in its petite ebony shell. And then there’s the Numex twilight, a spicy pseudo-Christmas tree adorned with purple, red, orange and yellow peppers that resemble yuletide twinkle lights. These eccentric chilies have zany names to match: the Ho Chih Minh, the Orange Scotch Bonnet, the Holy Mole. Their shapes are equally whacky, from the inverted mushroom cap known as the Balloon to the Peter, a capsicum with a startling resemblance to the male member.
Jarrett Man has assembled this motley crop to expose the community to species that often go unnoticed. But chili traditionalists need not fear; Jarrett has included all the more familiar favorites, too, like jalepenos, cayenne, habaneros, paprika and pimento. These famous peppers make regular appearances in a number of ethnic cuisines: as the flaming undercurrent of a Thai curry dish, as the kick in Kung Pao chicken, as the zing in Creole jambalaya. Chilifest honors the chili’s starring roles in the stew which shares its name with the pepper, and in the sultriest of the dips, salsa.
Everyone is invited to submit his or her own chili recipe and compete in the ritual Chili-Off, provided they can simmer a batch big enough to apportion a ladle to all the judges, who are many in number: since there are no prerequisites to be a chili judge, all Chilifest attendees cast their votes. To clinch victory at the event, chefs must be confident that their chili is hot stuff. In the past, the more conventional bean and meat-based contenders have nabbed the title of top chili. But that hasn’t inhibited the inventive chefs from contributing their innovative versions, like sweet potato and venison.
Salsa, made fresh with organic ingredients from Man’s and Richardson’s own gardens, will be provided for the event by Stone Soup Farm. Tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and cilantro are processed to form the foundation for the salsa. The final ingredient in the emulsion is the chili pepper, which gives each dip its distinctive sizzle. Because the type of chili pepper is the only variable in the mix, tasters are able to isolate its unique flavor as the formative component of the salsa.
Though it caters to chili fanatics, the Fest seeks to be an inclusive event for everyone to enjoy, from the finicky eater to the acid-intolerant. Along with its tasting stations and pepper spectacle, Stone Soup Farm will offer hayrides, farm tours and musical entertainment. Vendors from Katie Richardson’s group The Artisans of Western Mass. will show and sell their crafts, advocating for the “Buy Local, Buy Handmade” movement. While the day may be dedicated to the prestige of the pepper, the chili functions most importantly as a rallying point for the community. It’s an excuse to get outside in the final days of summer, mingle with neighbors and indulge that craving for something spicy, even if it ends in some minor oral discomfort. Remember: no pain, no gain.
Chilifest, Sat., Aug. 21, 12-5 p.m., rain date Sunday. Free, Stone Soup Farms, 275 Jackson Street, Belchertown, (413) 687-4341, http://sites.google.com/site/stonesoupfarm/home.
