Wednesday 18 May 2011

new limited edition VERY HOT curry sauce from Sharwood’s ! – Bhut Jolokia (review)



Back in my student days, I shared a house with three guys and three girls and going out to one of the local curry-houses was pretty much a weekly affair. Every single time, the boys saw it as a personal challenge and, as us girlies sedately ate our way through mild kormas, biryanis and baltis, they'd peruse the menu for the hottest, most kick-ass curry possible to prove how virile they were (or something like that !). Back then, the most macho thing they could order was a Tindaloo but they asked for the chefs to add extra heat. The chefs used to come out from the kitchen to watch them eat, shaking their heads and laughing ! But apparently, this is a typical man-thing ! The modern day "ultimate curry" is the Phall, whose name is "derived from Phallus to signify the macho-ness of a man who can eat such a hot food". (I'm not making this up, it says so right here !)

Well, if this sounds like you, or your husband/boyfriend/kid brother/next door neighbour, you'll love this new product from Sharwoods. They explain : "Sharwood’s is challenging the British public to test its bravery by taking on the newly launched Limited Edition Bhut Jolokia curry sauce, which is even hotter than a Vindaloo. Packed full of heavyweight flavour, it is made using a chilli which is over 400 times hotter than Tabasco sauce, the “Bhut Jolokia.” This rare chilli is sourced from the foothills of the Bhutan and measures over 1 million on the Scoville scale; curry lovers are warned to eat this sauce responsibly."


That last line made me smile but it's not just a marketing ploy, this really is an extremely hot curry. This video from youtube shows a seasoned chilli-taster getting floored by a Bhut Jolokia chilli. I'd like to point out that this is after eating the actual chilli pepper, not a jar of Sharwoods, but take it slowly all the same, especially as the heat apparently intensifies the more you eat. Make sure you've stocked up on sour cream, naan bread and extra toilet roll before you start !

The sauce is dead easy to use (if you think you're hard enough !) - just brown some chicken or lamb and stir it through. Having read the label, that warns that this is Sharwood's hottest ever curry sauce, I added just a tiny spoonful into a creamy chicken curry and even then, it was very hot.

If you can handle the heat, it's a great product to buy though because it helps charity. Sharwood's explain : "The launch of Sharwood’s Bhut Jolokia curry sauce coincides with The Soldiers’ Charity Big Curry, the Charity’s annual fundraising initiative which aims to encourage families around the UK to get cooking curries at home in an effort to raise money for the charity. Money raised by the sale of the Bhut Jolokia curry sauce will be used to fund grants for individual soldiers and former soldiers, as well as specialist projects that help soldiers and their families, aiding their rehabilitation and long term welfare." 10p from each jar is donated to the cause.

It is eye-wateringly hot but, if you want to lay down the gauntlet to your curry-loving friends, it's just what you're looking for. Warn them in advance how hot it is though or they may not be your friends for much longer !!

star rating : I can't really rate it as I didn't eat it as designed, I'm too much of a wimp !

RRP : £1.49

Sharwood’s Limited Edition Bhut Jolokia sauce is available from ASDA and Sainsbury’s


Other reviews you may be interested in :

9 comments:

  1. it looks tasty but not sure I could handle the heat! maybe one to try on the boyfriend when he is bragging about eating really spicy food...

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  2. LOL Definitely - but don't forget your camera !!

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. I thought it was hot, but manageable. Here's a video of me trying it:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcQmHXLMoL8

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  5. Its very hot, however the bad point is the chemicals inside actually cause damage. As this product isn't 100% of fresh ingredients if you have ever had any stomach problems in a results of medical treatment this product IS NOT FOR YOU.I tried it, & have had to go hospital as i've had a bad reaction. Personally, stick to ordering a curry!

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  6. oh dear, hope you're OK :-/ Go for a korma next time, maybe ?!! xx

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  7. This is easliy the finest and hottest curry out of a jar or a tin for domestic household use, as far as I know so far!
    Pataks Vindaloo from the tin once held the record for me although I always add either scotch bonnet peppers or the Dorset Naga fresh chillies if you can locate them and work from the Vindaloo base and up.
    Pataks recent Vindaloo or Phall in a jar is a letdown, not hot enough not the correct taste for these hot curries, this Sharwoods beast is awesome.
    I never add anything to it as the balance is perfect although as I eat these often I might spice them up a little with extra chillies.
    Make no mistake if real curry fanatics knew about this range curry houses in the UK might go out of business! I have only ever eaten one curry from an Indian which beat the Sharwoods, now that was a rare event!
    I remain undefeated in my taste for hot curries I`m now 51 and have never left a curry uneaten no matter how hot it is, SHARWOODS with the Bhut Jolokia is the BIZ, if anyone knows of a hotter curry from a tin or jar let me know please.
    In fact name any curry house which serves up thee hottest in the UK as I would like to know, seriously!
    I`m thinking if near of entering a competition if near of eating raw chillies, any strain and form, I`ll back here to see if someone can help me out, a real curry fanatic, I`m the champ...beat that anyone!

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    1. Now there's a challenge, if ever I heard one !

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  8. Hi Cheryl and thanks for your response, I should have included my name and not remain anonymous...Steve! I have eaten many Phall`s which when arrive in the Indian restaurent are either red or orange, thay basically throw in the chilli powder.
    Some have been molten hot but it`s the chilli seeds that create that balance, I would be tempted to enter a competition eating pure raw chillie`s, having seen many on youtube and if there was a decent prize fund...cash or a free Indian Phall or free chillie`s if the venue was near yes I might be up for it!
    That said I have never done it before so practice would have to be done first! Just bought in three jars of Sharwoods Phall, Bliss, regards Steve.

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