# Dragon Spice - what is this hot spice my food had in it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [February 23, 2021, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dragon-spice-what-is-this-hot-spice-my-food-had-in-it/933583 "2021-02-23T21:04:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2021, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dragon-spice-what-is-this-hot-spice-my-food-had-in-it/933583/1 "2021-02-23T21:04:27Z")
I recently ordered noodles from a noodle place near us and I said for my order, “Make it as hot and spicy as you are allowed.” Wow, they did. Like, insanely hot. I would say it is the spicy-hottest thing I’ve eaten since I ate at a Hunan restaurant in China. He included some extra spice for me and I am wondering if anyone knows what it might be. My noodles had “Dragon Spice” written on the top, something I’ve never seen him write before. Is this a thing or is it impossible because he probably just mixed stuff we don’t know together? Here is a picture of the extra he gave me: [[Album] Dragon Spice ![](https://i.imgur.com/CVGdb4Q.jpeg?fb "Dragon Spice") ](https://imgur.com/gallery/MGF4B8F) ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2021, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dragon-spice-what-is-this-hot-spice-my-food-had-in-it/933583/2 "2021-02-23T21:23:32Z")
Looks like szechuan chili sauce to me but I am no expert. Does it numb your tongue ? If so, it is probably szechuan chilies. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dragon-spice-what-is-this-hot-spice-my-food-had-in-it/933583/3 "2021-02-23T21:32:03Z")
If it’s oily, Asian chile oil. If not, Asian chile paste. Sambal oelek is a pretty well known type and the Huy Fong version is usually easy to find. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2021, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dragon-spice-what-is-this-hot-spice-my-food-had-in-it/933583/4 "2021-02-23T21:33:56Z")
Since this is about food, let’s move it to Cafe Society from GQ. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2021, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dragon-spice-what-is-this-hot-spice-my-food-had-in-it/933583/5 "2021-02-23T21:38:48Z")
It could also have dragon peppers in it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2021, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dragon-spice-what-is-this-hot-spice-my-food-had-in-it/933583/6 "2021-02-23T22:28:10Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > If it’s oily, Asian chile oil. If not, Asian chile paste. Sambal oelek is a pretty well known type and the Huy Fong version is usually easy to find. It was an oil, actually. Do you have a good example of that? I think your Sambal Oelek and Huy Fong are pastes, but this was an oil. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2021, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dragon-spice-what-is-this-hot-spice-my-food-had-in-it/933583/7 "2021-02-23T22:29:58Z")
> [@am77494](#): > > Looks like szechuan chili sauce to me but I am no expert. Does it numb your tongue ? If so, it is probably szechuan chilies. There was more pain(good kind of pain?) than numbing, though there was a mild tingling/numbing of my lips. Note: I facebook messaged the restaurant. The owner is the main chef and is a young guy; I hoped he would write back to tell me what it was, but didn’t. I am guessing he doesn’t check the messages, not that it was some super secret recipe. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dragon-spice-what-is-this-hot-spice-my-food-had-in-it/933583/8 "2021-02-24T02:21:15Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > It was an oil, actually. Do you have a good example of that? I think your Sambal Oelek and Huy Fong are pastes, but this was an oil. Ok, does it seem like the chiles were dried before the sauce was made or were they fresh? This is the next fork in the road and it can be difficult to determine if you’re not familiar with the different textures. If fresh, they’re likely just chopped and crushed in oil. Also, do you think there are other ingredients in it like garlic? A lot of Chinese chile oils have black beans which this one does not. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dragon-spice-what-is-this-hot-spice-my-food-had-in-it/933583/9 "2021-02-24T02:39:17Z")
Szechuan pepper actually looks like this [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Sechuan_pepper.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Sechuan_pepper.jpg) i.e., not red. However, when made into Szechuan mala sauce they are one of a dozen ingredients, including chillis. There are a couple of hot chili peppers called “Dragon”, and according to Wikipedia the Dragon’s Breath > **[Dragon's Breath (chili pepper)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon%27s_Breath_(chili_pepper))** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > Dragon's Breath is a chili pepper cultivar that unofficially tested at 2.48 million Scoville units. > The plant was developed in a collaboration between chili farmer Neal Price, NPK Technology, and Nottingham Trent University during a test of a special plant food and for its essential oil having potential as a skin anesthetic. The Dragon's Breath plant was later cultivated by breeder Mike Smith of St Asaph, Denbighshire, Wales, who said that he had... definitely qualifies as “insanely hot”.