[imagesource:flickr]

SA’s hottest chilli festival is geared up to get tongues burning this weekend as the Festival of Fire kicks off on Saturday, 1 April at Bloemendal Wine Estate north of Cape Town.

The Festival of Fire (not to be confused with the disastrous Fyre Festival), will ‘celebrate the rich and vibrant flavours of chilli, and those who have a passion for growing, cooking and eating these fiery crackers’. With the weather in the Cape predicted to be noice, this is sure to be the hottest event of the weekend.

Whether you prefer your chilli mild or extra hot, we have something for you, with a variety of chilli based products you can buy and take home, growing solutions to grow your own, and food trucks offering up their own unique take on this iconic ingredient.

The day will feature kid-friendly chilli chocolate challenges as well as a masterclass by Tv Presenter and Celebrity Chef, Prim Reddy. Of course, no chilli festival would be complete without also hosting a hot sauce competition as well as a chilli eating contest. You can get more detail on the planned festivities here.

Whether you’re a local resident, a chilli connoisseur, or just someone looking for a fun day out, the festival is a great opportunity for you to mingle with the chilli community, support local businesses, and make new friends.

There is something deliciously perverse in chomping down on super spicy food and feeling that burn that starts in the throat before sinking into the belly. For some, the hotter the better, but luckily for us, chillies do not necessarily mean ‘a 2 million Scoville death by fire’. Have a look at the below table if you are a newbie.

[image:flickr]

Various interpretations of the hot spice have been toned down a bit over the decades and so even if your palate is as sensitive as a millennial on Twitter, you will still be able to find some lekker chilli dishes.

Go check it out, but make sure you put some TP in the fridge for when you come back.

[source:festivaloffire]