By Ian Brogden

Last updated 12:23, Saturday, 22 November 2008

Two Cumbrian super-curries are next week bidding to be named the hottest in the world.

• Weblink: The Chilli Pepper Company
• Weblink: Starly's Spice Co
• Video: we eat the curry Satan's Ashes

Ian Brogden after eating the curry

Satan’s Ashes Hot and Tasty and Satan’s Ashes Extreme Heat will battle others from around the country in the XXXMints Can You Handle the Heat challenge.

Hopes are high that one of them will be successful and land the title ahead of such rivals as Curry Hell, Bollywood Burner and the Dorset Naga.

Both Satan’s Ashes entries include the lip melting Bhut Jolokia and Naga Morich chillis – but the Extreme Heat will have an extra special ingredient, a new chilli developed in Cumbria and which tests show is now the world’s hottest.

This chilli has been cultivated by Ged Fowler, of The Chilli Pepper Company, Cark, who, together with Starly’s Spice Co, of Orton, near Penrith, will be cooking up the two dishes at the contest in London on Wednesday.

The hotness of these dishes is eye-watering and that’s down to the chillis.

The Bhut Jolokia is officially the world’s hottest chilli and it has been rated at well over 1,000,000 on the Scoville scale, a system used to measure their ‘heat’. By comparison, a Jalapeno is rated at 2,500 to 5,000 and Tabasco brand pepper sauce is about the same.

As a big curry fan, the chance to tuck in to such fiery delights was too good an opportunity to miss.

The Hot and Tasty was just like any other curry. The terrors I’d been expecting didn’t materialise.

No bulging eyes, no mad sweats, no dashing for pints of cooling milk – just a pleasant tingle on the tongue that disappeared after a couple of minutes.

However, warned Steven Higginson, of Starly’s, it would be a bit different with Extreme Heat.

Much darker in colour than its softer counterpart, it has been known to reduce some men to tears. And it’s easy to see why.

As I chewed on the first mouthful it didn’t seem that hot. But my disappointment soon gave way to terror as I chomped away on the next ... and then the next ... and the next.

Carly Jones, Steven’s partner, had warned of the delayed ‘kick’ and I didn’t understand what she meant until it was too late. As my brain struggled to cope with the onslaught, my mouth exploded. ]

“Every forkful added to my distress.

My tongue went numb, my lips stung and I felt light-headed.

“I began to perspire and my body was working overtime to figure out what was going on. The back of my throat felt like it was on fire and my eyes were watering.

It is not a curry that you can wolf down with a few beers, although you can try if you’re feeling brave enough.

Starly’s Satan’s Ashes and the firm’s other spice blends are available from more than 300 shops nationwide, including Booths supermarkets.

The company was set-up late last year when Steven, 34 and Carly, 24, spotted a gap in the market and gave up their jobs in sales and marketing.

Why are chillies hot?

Chilli peppers contain capsaicinoids, which are insoluble in water, colourless, odourless and flavourless substances that make them seem hot.

They directly stimulate the pain sensors in the mouth.

To counter their effect, drink a glass of milk or eat yoghurt or cheese.