How to Be A Chilli Head: Inside the red-hot world of the chilli cult

by Andy Lynes

Welcome to the world of the chilli cult. All over the globe, people are getting together to grow chilli, taste chilli and make sauce hot enough to blow their heads off. Competition among chilli -growers is fierce, and tall tales of dastardly deeds abound. This sizzling-hot book is your essential guide to the chilli world, with inside information on where to find the tastiest varieties, where to eat the best chilli -packed street food, and the race to produce the hottest chilli ever known. Find out the secrets of chilli science – why a slug of water won't help when your mouth's on fire, what effect eating a super-hot chilli has on your body, and how do you measure how hot a chilli is? If you want to grow your own chilli, this book contains a wealth of foolproof cultivation tips, and, of course, there's a delicious selection of chilli recipes to make with your first harvest. Packed with features, facts and fun, How to Be a Chilli Head is the perfect gift for the chilli obsessive in your life. Word 20,000

128 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2015

About the author

Andy Lynes is an author and freelance food, drink and travel writer. His work appears in The Times, The Telegraph and The Independent. He has reviewed restaurants for the Metro and the Guardian and is currently a member of the http://www.60SecondReviews.com team. He is a contributing editor to Seasoned by Chef's magazine and food and drink editor of Zuri magazine. He writes regularly for Host, the pub and bar magazine, and The Caterer. He has contributed to a number of books including two editions of Where Chefs Eat and the Oxford Companion to Food. His second book, How to be a Chilli Head will be published by Portico in May 2015.

Reviews

[Rosemary Standeven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t had so much fun reading a foodie book for a long time. I read the advance copy in one long sitting, cover to cover (so to speak) on my computer, and then went straight on to Amazon and ordered the hard copy. The book covers everything (and I mean everything!) you could possibly want to know about chillies from the science, how to cook it, where to buy it, how to make and market your own chilli sauce, to chilli films, chilli songs, chilli cuisine around the world including Peru (yes, please) and Germany (?!!), chilli chefs, and much more. There is chilli trivia (birds don’t taste chilli and elephants are allergic to it), and lists of the hottest chillies in the world. There are links to internet sites for more information and sales of EVERYTHING that could conceivably be linked to chillies, chilli festivals around the world, and then a section on how to grow your own chillies. Then, finally, just to make sure you have been paying attention, there is a quiz!
I have had to come to the conclusion, that however much I love chillies, I don’t quite make it to being a genuine Chilli Head – I can’t see myself eating a Carolina Reaper. I am however going to try some of the recipes, and maybe try again to grow my own – now I have the addresses of some chilli seed companies to get the interesting ones. I fully recommend this book – even if you don’t like the hottest chillies, this book is such a good read – but if you do like chilli, this is essential reading.

[Luka Ćorić · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun illustrations, nicely written but it could've been more informative

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one hot hot book!
Everything you wanted to know about Chilli heads, how to be a chilli head, how to cook with chilies; how to grow chilies. Great illustrations. Easy to read and follow recipes are included. Chili festival and society information is shared. This is a packed full-to-the-brim book! Well written and fast paced. This is a must-have for your own collection and will make excellent gifts for your family and friends. Enjoy! NetGalley and Pavilion Books provided an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Maggie Hesseling · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book! Coming from a family that's obsessed with hot sauces and chilli, how could I not read this?! It has everything: quirky chilli facts, recipes, and which films and music are the best with chilli flavoured popcorn or absinthe. It even explains the hotness scale. Great for any chilli lover!

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderfully informative book this is. Even the cover makes me feel hot under the collar. There are plenty of chilli facts and science features in this great book for fellow chilliaholics