Christmas White

Happy solstice, everyone! I’m not doing anything special for the holiday – Or at least, not online – but I do have a rather special sauce to show you, all the same. One that matches the idealised colour of the season, even if I’ve only actually seen two white christmases in my whole life.

This is the White Fatality, from Pika Pika, and it very much lives up to its name, with a beautiful ivory colouration that’s completely unlike any other chilli product. But it’s not just that that makes it special – At least, not to me – because the second half of its name refers specifically to the rare chilli within. One which I first tasted right around the time when this blog began and I’ve been searching tirelessly for it ever since.

It is, of course, the white fatalii. An obscure and beautifully pale variant of the much more common yellow strain, with its own distinctive taste. Smooth, fresh and both slightly wheaty and slightly like clotted cream. Yet still very much its own unique thing. And just as very hot.

After years of searching, I’d all but given up hope of ever seeing it again. Yet here we are, witnessing my long lost love’s return in sauce form. Will they be all that I remember?

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Baked Well, Not Stirred

Hey folks, how’s it going? Today, I thought I’d give Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm another go, given how much I enjoyed them last time, and what could be a better fit for the current winter holiday season than a spicy jam specifically designed to go with turkey?

But I’m not talking cranberry. Oh no, that’s already been done. I’m talking about their Chilli Bakewell Jam:

A sweet blend of peppers, cherries and almond essence, made to taste like the the classic tarts.

Let’s see if it does, shall we?

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2021’s Christmas Recap

Hello again, everyone, merry christmas and happy holidays. I hope that you’re all experiencing a wonderful start to this year’s winter season.

Today, we have my classic recap post, for the first thursday of december, where I take another look at everything that we’ve tried, this the year, and give you my thoughts on which would or wouldn’t make great gifts. Along with a few things which you might not have seen, just yet, because I did take a sponsorship deal, or two, this year.

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2020’s Christmas Recap

Happy thursday, folks! It’s been a while since my last inedible post but, now that we’re heading into december, it’s time for my yearly, pre-christmas recap. That seasonal special where I go over everything that I’ve tried, throughout the year, and tell you which I would and wouldn’t recommend as gifts.

And, speaking of special, I’ve got a brand new special category today:

Sponsored Stuff:

This year, I’ve been working with The Chilli Project and, while we’re still fleshing out the details of my first affiliate link, you can now find my writing on almost all of their individual product pages. Descriptions of each of their items from yours truly.

I’ve been trying out all of their sauces and indian pickles, behind the scenes, and discussing my thoughts on each with the company’s owner, as I’ve done this job. So, while you’ve not seen any reviews of them and you won’t be doing so any time soon, I’ve had the lot and can genuinely vouch for their quality.

Their Garlic & Naga, Brinjal and Scotch Bonnet are three of the best indian pickles that I’ve ever had, positively bursting with flavour, and their old-fashioned brown sauce is just as intense, despite being their mildest, heat-wise. If you’re looking to buy for someone who likes it bold, has traditional british tastes or loves indian cuisine, they definitely have that covered but they also do plenty more besides.

I’ll be going over the lot, through the course of today’s post, but I won’t be going into too much detail on any particular item. Because, well, I’ve already done so over on their website.

Now, let’s get on with today’s recap article.

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Tom’s Triple Threat

Happy tuesday again, everyone! This week, I’ve got another set of freebies from Tom’s Curious Sauces and one of them’s an old favourite of mine:

The blueberry and ghost pepper “Purple Pain” that I tried in 📽️one of last year’s christmas videos📽️. Now wrapped in a fresh new label to further emphasise its connection to the artist known as “Prince”.

But what are those behind it? A couple of christmas specials perhaps?

I can’t say for sure but that Cranberry certainly does sound seasonal and the Angry Ass has the appearance of a tacky gift sauce. Though, knowing Tom, I suspect that both will taste a lot better than the bargain bin products which his Ass resembles.

Yes, I have high hopes for this new pair and I’m really rather excited to test them out. Yet I’m also just as eager to see what the Purple Pain is like when I’m not all frazzled from a vile extract item.

Will it still be as delicious and mild as I remember?

All three of today’s sauces have high bar to live up to, so let’s get to the review.

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The Christmas Spirits

Merry christmas, everyone! Or christmas eve, I suppose, but it’s the closest that I’m going to get, what with my weekly, tuesday upload schedule. And I’m doing a themed post either way!

Why? Because I don’t make a penny from my blog work. I do this all for my own enjoyment. My passion for my craft and for others’ craft sauce.

It may seem cheesy to some of you but it’s a tonne of fun, for me, to break from the norm and force my writing to fit a secondary topic. Be it a holiday, a recent film or just a game that I’m into. And it’s even better when I get to explain a lesser known celebration, like walpurgis nacht.

I’m going to keep doing these seasonal specials and I’ll try my best to make them as topical as I can but today’s something of a weird one.

I can’t show you something all christmas gifty or suited for xmas eating, because no small business is going to offer next day delivery on the biggest holiday of the year. It has to be something that’ll still be relevant in the months to come, so here’s what I’ve come up with:

3Ghosts

The three ghosts of christmas.

Only, instead of past, present and future, we have Hot-Headz, Morrisons and Meat Lust. All three making full use of the legendary first superhot, yet each bringing its own flavour, texture and price point to the party.

Read on to see what I make of them.

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Chipotle Snaps

Hey folks, do you like brandy? I don’t.

And yet, for some reason, it’s almost everywhere at christmas time. In puddings, cream, butter and biscuits, to name just a few of its applications. So, today, I’m going to be taking a common brandy recipe and taking the brandy out of it.

ChipotleSnaps

I’m going to be making some chipotle snaps, with the help of Burning Desire FoodsSyrup.

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2019’s Christmas Recap

So it’s thursday again, everybody and it’s the first thursday of december. Finally time for my yearly, pre-christmas recap. And, unlike with my previous lists, I’m not going to be changing the format up at all.

Ordering by type, so that readers could skim to the section(s) that most suited their gift giving, has proven itself rather more work than ordering by time or heat but, personally, it’s what I’d rather read. It’s a much more useful sorting method.

So, pay attention to the bold headings, stop and read if you see something inspiring, poke the product names to see my full reviews and give the company names a click to go straight to their websites (UK brands only and only if they have one). Plus, don’t forget to check my top product summaries at the end for the very best of the best.

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2018’s Christmas Recap

Hey folks, it’s christmas shopping season again and, while I’m a little more prepared this year, I’m sure that at least a few of you still need my advice. So, this being the first thursday of december, it’s time for the third of my yearly recaps.

Recaps that, for those of you who’re new to this site, focus heavily on the giftability of the sauces and such that I’ve tried that year.

Last year, I introduced the idea of ordering those products by type, rather than time or heat, and I intend to do the same again today. So, if there’s a certain sort of item that your friends or family will particularly enjoy, feel free to skim ahead until you catch the appropriate topic heading. I’ll put them in bold specially.

But, before we get to what I’d recommend as a gift, let’s kick off this year’s summary with what I wouldn’t.

Oh, and click the sauce and company names for my reviews and their sites (if they’re in the UK), respectively.

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Seasonal Chutney

Welcome to december, everyone – The real month of christmas content but also the last week of it on my blog, since there’s no point in me making recommendations if I can’t be sure that they’ll reach you in time.

Today is definitely a seasonal review, though, and it marks the return of Holly and the Ivy, who you’ve seen before under their other name as The Mini Jar Company. Before I try out their little freebie, though, I want to give you a bit of backstory.

I dislike brussel sprouts. I don’t find them bitter so, just as with coriander, I’m not genetically inclined to hate them. I just do. The same way that many kids apparently hate broccoli.

After all, all it takes sometimes is a single bad experience to put you off a food for life. And let me tell you, getting your packed lunch wrecked by schoolyard bullies, only to have it replaced with an almost indeterminable green mush, is definitely a bad experience. A terrible introduction to the traditional veg of the season.

So it’s entirely possible that I’m going to hate today’s product through no fault of its own but, when Holly and the Ivy asked if I wanted to try their Red Onion, Sprout & Naga Chilli Chutney, I realised that I haven’t actually given the vegetable a fair shot in my adult life.

And, since 📽️ Mushemi Fire 📽️ and Cowley’s Fine Food have both proven that I can like even mushrooms if they’re prepared right, I said “yes”. I decided to give their christmas special a go.

sprout

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