To Hell and Back: ABC News Producer Samples Spicy Chicken Wings
An ABC News producer samples chicken wings described as spiciest in the world.
CHICAGO, Feb. 1, 2008— -- I really cannot handle spicy food. My ancestors came over on the Mayflower, to give you a sense of my cultural cuisine. The spiciest I can go is mustard on my Fenway Frank. But when I heard about the chicken wings at Jake Melnick's Corner Tap in Chicago, I was intrigued. They claim to be the spiciest anyone has ever eaten. The journalist in me wondered, "How do they make them so hot? Do they taste good? And most important, who on earth orders these?" So ABC News correspondent Eric Horng and I hopped on a plane to investigate.
At the restaurant, chef Eric Kelly shared the recipe that he, chef Robin Rosenberg and the rest of the team at Jake's have spent two years developing. They take habanero peppers, roast them and puree them in a blender. They then add that to their original hot wings sauce (which is top secret). The key to the Seriously Ridiculously Over-the-Top Hot Wings is adding a touch of one of the world's hottest peppers -- the red savina. The chefs at Jake's import an extract of the red savina from New Delhi, India. All it takes is five drops of the potent liquid into the secret sauce. Mix in 10 wings, and you get, well, my worst nightmare in a basket.
Since I made it all the way out there (and I wasn't ready yet to brave the 5 degree weather outside) I figured I'd stay and try one. Besides, how could I accurately report on these wings without trying at least one? Before I ordered I had to sign a waiver eliminating any liability on the part of the restaurant in case of injury, like irritating my eyes, burning my palate or suffering extreme stomach pains.
No turning back now. At first, it didn't seem so bad. What was all the fuss about? But after about 30 seconds my tongue began to burn and my lips were on fire. My face turned bright red, and I started to sweat. Tears started welling up in my eyes. It took only two bites before I rang for help -- Jake's gives each customer who orders its new super spicy wings a bell if you can't take the heat. Once you ring the bell, a server arrives within seconds with a platter of foods that best cut the burn:
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