JOHANNESBURG RED

We are returning to Marin California farmer's market to visit the hot sauce and pepper booth of Peppahead.
Today we are going to sample a sauce called Johannesburg Red. What makes this sauce special, is that it is made of African Bird peppers. These peppers were originally grown in the wild. Birds would eat the peppers and would fly away and spread the seeds by aerial excrement disposal. These peppers have been domesticated and now are grown locally in San Rafael by Peppahead. Peppahead has a variety of spices, sauces and chili calenders that he sells at the Marin farmers market and online. Let's give it a try.

At first whiff you smell vinegar. This is one of the few ingredients listed on the label. (shallots, garlic, onion, water, vinegar, salt & pepper and bird peppers). The sauce is very smooth and not very thick. The taste is very complex. I am getting a little smoke flavor with a hint of bourbon,cherry's and cinnamon. It is a whirlwind of taste. It is very unique. The heat hits the back of your throat and travels to the tip of your tongue. The heat level is medium hot. It is not a beginners sauce but will disappoint the extreme heat seeking fiends. It is a tolerable level that will be the perfect accompaniment to some quesadillas.

These quesadillas rocked. The sauce made this dish a cornucopia of flavor. It was fun to try this bird pepper concoction. It has a unique pepper taste that will make you crave more. If you want to give it a try, Peppahead ia at the Marin Farmers market on Sundays. He also sells it online at http://www.peppahead.com/