Ever wondered what it’s like to try the hottest chilli on earth? Now you can, writes Francesca Faze…
Eddie Webber, a Bermondsey actor best known for roles in classic films like The Firm and The Business, has swapped cameras for capsicum with a new passion project: a new online chilli shop.
Eddie launched the website, ChilliEd, in April with his business partner and fellow chilli lover, Darren Tassell.
They sell 10g bags of the world’s three hottest chillies and a 12g mixed bag, which so far has been the most popular.
The Carolina Reaper is officially the fieriest, measuring 2.2 million scoville heat units (SHU) – the measure used for capsaicin concentration, which gives chilli peppers their fire.
How hot is that?
“Uncontrollable snot and saliva hot,” according to Eddie’s website.
The Reaper out-blisters the second hottest pod, the Trinidad Scorpion – still an eye watering 1.2 million SHU.
If you want to start slow, the Naga Ghost, cultivated in Nagaland in India, might seem comparatively mild at just over one million SHU.
Be warned though – it’s still four hundred times hotter than Tabasco Sauce. Farmers in India even put it on their fences to deter curious elephants.
Eddie said: “You have to treat them with respect. But if you know how to use them sensibly, chillies add this beautiful dimension to any food, even something like spaghetti Bolognese.”
One traditional favourite locals can now try with a hint of this heat is pie and mash.
The Bermondsey Pie and Mash Company, which has been selling out since it launched in The Blue market, Southwark Park Road in Bermondsey, last month, is now using Eddie’s chillies in their new chilli vinegar.
“People love it,” said Tammy Jukes, who started the The Bermondsey Pie and Mash Company with her husband, Jamie. “We just thought it would be great for two local businesses to join forces and support each other.”
Eddie is equally excited about the collaboration.
“It’s joyous to be involved with local people trying to revive a tradition for the area while also introducing a new concept,” he said.
For more information , or if you’re brave enough to buy a bag of chillies, visit: www.chillied.co.uk