Tis week’s title references two things. Firstly, it alludes to KFC’s zinger burger and my love of medium hot foods. Secondly, it was the nickname given by some commentators to NBA player Krystaps Porzingis. The latter did not like the appellation, so it was quickly forgotten. The zinger bit is an obvious reference to his surname. Whether you’re seven foot four or four foot seven, the spicy bug does not discriminate. Mexicans, Indians, Malaysians, and Szechuanese have that in common. They could not resist a spicy tinge.

The Time Lord

As I said, consuming hot foods is common in my former region. I remember my mum telling me that their family friend reportedly crushed chillies to go with her meals. While it might be yummy for some, ‘I would advise against doing this. Eating small, hot chillies could increase your blood pressure. She ended up with hypertension (high blood). A surfeit of spicy food could also cause constipation.

Laing is a Filo dish that is also popular in some parts of the country. It usually mixes taro leaves with coconut milk and the optional chilli. The blazing version of the dish is very much in demand. The hotter the veggies, the greater the sales. Unfortunately, you wouldn’t find chilli burgers in fast food outlets. The reason? It wouldn’t be very inclusive. It would only appeal to a certain demographic.

Wasabi

I have a friend who’s from Szechuan. He goes for really hot food. Whenever he orders sushi, he always finishes the wasabi. Personally, I couldn’t handle the latter. So does my other friend.

‘I don’t want to get gassed,’ he told me.

Interestingly, the wasabi friend told me that he doesn’t only eat spicy food.

‘Having a spicy kick is nice, but all food is flavourful.’

Mexican cuisine is another that comes with the optional hot tinge. Like Indian food, you usually have the choice of mild, medium, and hot. Like Indian chow, I usually get the mild. Having the added flavour is great for tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, and enchiladas. It’s a worthy complement for the protein and veggies.

Mexicano

I’m not as fond of hot Malay dishes. On a few occasions, I’ve tried red curry and I wasn’t a fan. Their laksas don’t seem too appetising either. Thai food was much better but nowadays they’ve limited their serving size.

Hot pots

Many years back, I remember ordering a Szechuanese hot pot. It had no veggies but had an overload of chilli sauce. The lamb wasn’t even tender. I was disappointed.

Medium is my limit. When I order Bahn mi, I ask for no chilli. I remember this worker who bought a pork roll. He was ahead of me on the queue. He said no to chilli, as he ‘did not want to have diarrhoea’.

Speaking of Viet food, they have this soup called pho. It comes with tender beef, bean sprouts, mint leaves, and thin rice noodles. Again, there’s the optional chilli and lemon slice. Many people of various backgrounds have fallen in love with this find. The combination of tasty soup, the tender protein, the mint, and irresistible noodles make it spot on for a light dinner or supper.

Meanwhile, Indian food is okay but I often get mild viands as their medium is quite spicy.

Some peeps can’t stand jalapeño. For them, it’s too much. I don’t mind it though. To add a little spicy kick, I opt to add chilli sauce to my meals. This comes in handy when other people aren’t into hot bites.

Once, I had a classmate named Barry who was shouted stir fried Hokkien noodles with pork and veggies or, simply, pancit in Tagalog. Upon getting his plate, he immediately grabbed the chilli sauce and poured half the bottle on his pancit. He then hungrily gobbled up his plate. He reminded me of Cookie Monster, except he was eating noodles in a carinderia (dining place).

Movie Mayhem

I used to get this bibimbap from Azakaze. This often happened at lunch before we went to the movies. It came with rice, meat, different veggies, a hot sauce tub, and miso soup. My friend told me that I always ordered healthy Japanese food.

Twisties once made chilli flavoured cheese chips. It was a little too much. In our home, I was the only one masticating on it. While KFC has the zinger, Maccas has the McSpicy. Interestingly, the latter also sports a crumbed chicken patty. It comes with lettuce, tomato, and the de rigeur spicy sauce. KFC also offers wicked wings, which are slightly hotter than their regular ones. Occasionally, they proffer hot and spicy chicken. These are medium hot versions of their original recipe range.

Aside from fried chicken, pork chop is another fried dish that chilli sauce complements. Other fried items include spring rolls, salt and pepper fish, fried eggs, omelettes, and fried fish. Interestingly, chilli potato chips are a classic hit with the crowd.

Musings

As my friend said, food doesn’t necessarily have to be Saharan. You could enjoy food, like countless others, without the spicy kick. In short, it’s all relative. You should keep that in mind the next time you order a hotpot for your friends.