# Who'da thunk? \[Spicy Food\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 22, 2008, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101 "2008-10-22T19:08:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/1 "2008-10-22T19:08:15Z")
The Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich is, in fact, _spicy._ ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/2 "2008-10-22T19:12:13Z")
Compared to what? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/3 "2008-10-22T19:28:39Z")
Compared to most fast-food chain foods. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/4 "2008-10-22T19:30:29Z")
Wendy’s is a step above those other fast food places. I love their spicy chicken sandwich and now I want one. But their Baconator looks like a heart attack wrapped in a bun. Bleh. ---
**Author:** ![Borborygmi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/borborygmi/32/217_2.png) [@Borborygmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borborygmi)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/5 "2008-10-22T19:55:38Z")
The real question, of course, is: was it spicy enough to cause hallucinations in which Wendy actually starts talking to you, like in the commercial? ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/6 "2008-10-22T20:04:31Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > The Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich is, in fact, _spicy._ After you drown it in [hot sauce](http://countrystore.tabasco.com/prodinfo.asp?number=03059), yeah, it is. Tasty too! Silly yankee ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/7 "2008-10-22T20:29:13Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > But their Baconator looks like a heart attack wrapped in a bun. Bleh. Mmmmm…Baconator. ---
**Author:** ![Cosmopolitan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/94ad74/32.png) [@Cosmopolitan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cosmopolitan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/8 "2008-10-22T20:32:24Z")
It’s definitely spicyish. And reasonably tasty, for fast food. Just looking at the Baconator, though, makes me cringe - it’s just…_too much_… ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/9 "2008-10-22T20:36:59Z")
Spicy? Well, there’s _some_ notable spice there, but really nothing served at a fast food joint is spicy, is it? ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/10 "2008-10-22T20:43:31Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Spicy? Well, there’s _some_ notable spice there, but really nothing served at a fast food joint is spicy, is it? No, not even the Fire Sauce at Taco Bell is really all that spicy. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/11 "2008-10-22T21:24:24Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Compared to most fast-food chain foods. Okay, I’ll give you that. I generally refer to those sorts of things as “spicy flavored”. > [@UncleRojelio](#): > > After you drown it in [hot sauce](http://countrystore.tabasco.com/prodinfo.asp?number=03059), yeah, it is. Tasty too! > > Silly yankee Bwhaahhhaha. Notice where Tabasco is on [this list](http://www.chez-williams.com/Hot%20Sauce/hothome.htm). Silly Texan. 😛 I had some Satan’s Blood for lunch, which is roughly 350 times hotter than Tobasco sauce. I hadn’t known of Dave’s Limited, but just saw it on that link when I was looking up the scoville’s for the Satan’s blood earlier today. I’m a big fan of Dave’s Insanity, so I think I’m going to buy myself some Limited for Thanksgiving. ETA: Just noticed you linked to Tabasco’s Habanero version. It’s decent, for a table sauce, but still on the very low end on the hotness scale (7,000). ---
**Author:** ![Euryphaessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Euryphaessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euryphaessa)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/12 "2008-10-23T02:08:17Z")
I miss the Spicy Baconator. It was a Baconator with pepperjack and jalapenos and spicy sauce, and it was the love of my life. I only ever had three before they discontinued them. It was reasonably spicy, but nothing insane. I don’t like ultra-hot food, so this was a good thing. The Baconator isn’t that bad. Two skinny little beef patties and 3 strips of bacon (they say 6, but they’re really short pieces), and if you’re hungry it’s not a problem. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/13 "2008-10-23T12:59:55Z")
> [@Queen of Town](#): > > It was reasonably spicy, but nothing insane. I don’t like ultra-hot food, so this was a good thing. Yeah, me either, which is why I was pleasantly surprised by the spicy chicken sandwich – actual spiciness without being macho about it. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/14 "2008-10-23T14:33:38Z")
> [@Santo\_Rugger](#): > > Okay, I’ll give you that. I generally refer to those sorts of things as “spicy flavored”.Bwhaahhhaha. Notice where Tabasco is on [this list](http://www.chez-williams.com/Hot%20Sauce/hothome.htm). Silly Texan. 😛 Oh, don’t worry, I can fully appreciate that the Tabasco brand is not the hottest sauce on the market. I just thought it would be something the OP might have had a chance to see at one time or another up there in the great white north. Here in Austin we have a fine selection of locally made sauces that would make Mr. Scoville blush. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/15 "2008-10-23T14:41:21Z")
Spiciness/heat in food is generally in inverse proportion to the amount of chest-beating warnings that the restaurant or store engages in about the stuff. Hot food that has really blown my head off has almost invariably been given without a word. Fast food chains tend to have chilli versions of things that aren’t even discernibly chilli-_flavoured_, let alone having any heat. There’s a Portuguese chicken burger chain in Australia that has a normal burger and a chilli version. The staff are trained to ask, “Sir, are you aware this comes with chilli?” when you order it. After many years, they’ve finally added a smallish amount of heat to the recipe, because before that, I couldn’t even _detect_ chilli. I assume there were complaints. The burgers are great, BTW. The locals will know, but any visitors to our shores should try at least one burger from Oporto. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/16 "2008-10-23T14:47:19Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > Oh, don’t worry, I can fully appreciate that the Tabasco brand is not the hottest sauce on the market. I just thought it would be something the OP might have had a chance to see at one time or another up there in the great white north. Here in Austin we have a fine selection of locally made sauces that would make Mr. Scoville blush. I’ve had Bottled Hell before and that almost knocked me on my ass. Do you know where that rates on the Scoville scale? ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/17 "2008-10-23T15:09:47Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > Oh, don’t worry, I can fully appreciate that the Tabasco brand is not the hottest sauce on the market. I just thought it would be something the OP might have had a chance to see at one time or another up there in the great white north. Here in Austin we have a fine selection of locally made sauces that would make Mr. Scoville blush. Tis true, I was just taking the opportunity to take a jab at a Texan. My roommate lived in Austin for a long time, and he brings back this pretty awesome BBQ sauce every time he goes. It’s some pretty damn good stuff, a great balance of sweet and heat. > [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > Spiciness/heat in food is generally in inverse proportion to the amount of chest-beating warnings that the restaurant or store engages in about the stuff. Hot food that has really blown my head off has almost invariably been given without a word… This is true, although the hottest chile I’ve ever had in a restaurant was at a place on the south end of Santa Fe called Horseman’s Haven. The entree was of a medium (restaurant) heat, but I had heard from many people they had the hottest chile around. So I asked for the hot stuff. I swear they added capsaicin extract of some sort. IMHO, capsaicin has a particular, almost chemical like taste to it. The difference is that with thinks like Wendy’s sandwich it just makes the food taste like it’s physically warmer than it actually is. Once things start getting hot, though, it’s like the surfaces in your mouth are actually being subjected to hot coals. For the record, I wasn’t trying to be macho, but peppers are just such a way of life here in the great southwest that describing Wendy’s as spicy would get you a :dubious:. My dad and I always joke about my mom, though. For some reason, she always gets the “hottest piece” when we’re eating dinner together. > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I’ve had Bottled Hell before and that almost knocked me on my ass. Do you know where that rates on the Scoville scale? I can’t find any Scoville ratings, but it appears they now have a “MO HOTTER” version, similar to how Dave came out with the “Limited”. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/18 "2008-10-23T15:13:48Z")
> [@Santo\_Rugger](#): > > For the record, I wasn’t trying to be macho, but peppers are just such a way of life here in the great southwest that describing Wendy’s as spicy would get you a :dubious:. My dad and I always joke about my mom, though. For some reason, she always gets the “hottest piece” when we’re eating dinner together. For sure. There’s too much “oh, being macho, eh?” that surrounds hot food threads here. I love hot food, probably because of various paths and connections my life has taken me. I’m a card-carrying pussycat in enough areas of life, that I’m fine with that. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/19 "2008-10-23T15:44:45Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > No, not even the Fire Sauce at Taco Bell is really all that spicy. Has anyone had a chance to try those volcano tacos at Taco Bell? Are they actually hot, or are the commercials full of crap? ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101/20 "2008-10-23T15:55:04Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > Has anyone had a chance to try those volcano tacos at Taco Bell? Are they actually hot, or are the commercials full of crap? About as hot as the Wendy’s spicy chicken. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoda-thunk-spicy-food/469101.md?page=2)