PSA: Habaneros Safety Tips

a big, fat, spicy x2!!

Even after you've washed you hands,,,,, and be careful putting the contacts in the next day!

Back in the days of my being a jungle explorer, I was working in French West Africa.  We had a very nice bungalo in a village with the kitchen accross the courtyard and the outhouse out back, a cook, his assistant (s), and a guard at my service.   I was vegetarian at the time, which made me like an exotic pet - they didn't know what to feed me.  I brought black beans from home and wanted to cook myself.  They let me and as I pulled out some peppers I asked "hot or mild" in my french.  I was told "not so hot".   I proceed to chop up a bunch and heap them by hand into the pot.   I got the beans on and let them simmer for a while (cook assistants just were there to watch me as it was a novelty to see me cook).   This dish was for a camp celebration the next day.  It was called "Sauce patron".   I went and cleaned up for the evening and went in the bungalow.  as the evening wore on, my hands were all tingly and then starting to sting.  I went around back and washed them a few times.   I then realized I was truly in distress and the guard came into the bungalow front room and found me soaking my hands in a bowl of milk.    yes, a bowl of milk.  He asked me what was going on and I said "too much pepper".  He took me to the kitchen and asked what happened.  I understand more french than I speak.   The male assistant told the guard about how I was touching the pepper and they were afriad to say anything.   I told them they were both fired, and they laughed.   we tried cooking oil.  we tried charcoal.   then we tried beer.  I finally just took my burning hands to bed and put them under my pillow.   It took several days for them to finally quit burning when I would sweat (and since it was Africa, I sweat alot).....

The beans themselves were not so hot to eat, oddly enough.

Moral of the story:   language is relative.   "not so hot" might mean "don't touch them with your hands"

I remember a few years back making a batch of deadly hot wings.  My buddy had to go to the bathroom after partaking.  I asked him if he remembered to wash his hands.  BEFORE going.  He had not.  And left very quickly to soak his junk in some milk.  We named the recipe "the bad man hurt me" wings.

I cooked at a Mexican Restaurant for years and there were some days after chopping seranos, jalapenos, arbols, etc and going to the bathroom I really wanted to die.  Couldn't imagine what it would look like if a customer walked in with my "soaking" in a tub of milk but it was often so tempting.

You, sir, are a true friend!