This spicy ice cream is going to make you wish that you had a fire extinguisher on deck after the first bite.
In February 2018, Aldwych Cafe and Ice Cream Parlor released an ice cream flavor so hot that consumers have to sign a waiver before tasting the devilish dessert. Respiro del Diavolo, or “Devil’s Breath,” is created with Carolina Reaper peppers. Carolina Reapers are some of the hottest peppers in the game, guaranteeing any consumer a fate full of watery eyes, upset stomachs, and lava-hot spice.
To try the ice cream, you must be 18 years of age and you must also sign a death waiver which explains that Aldwych Cafe and Ice Cream Parlor is not legally responsible for consumers with a low tolerance for spice. In some cases, foods that are too spicy for an individual can cause them immense pain or even bodily harm.
When we decided to launch the product, we were concerned about people having a fatal response to the very hot chili peppers. So we spoke to our insurance company, and they advised us to use the waiver protection from multi-million pound lawsuits.
Martin Bandoni, cafe owner
What gives a pepper its spice in the first place?
A chemical compound called capsaicin. When this compound reacts with the human body, it creates a burning feeling. The more capsaicin that is in a pepper, the hotter that pepper will be. Carolina Reaper peppers contain a large amount of this fiery compound. In turn, this has landed the Carolina Reaper with a Scoville range between 1,400,000 to 2,200,000 units.
The Scoville scale ranks peppers in terms of their spice. The more Scoville units a pepper has, the hotter that pepper is as well. For some perspective, habanero peppers have a Scoville unit score of 350,000. This means that they contain ¼ of the spice level of a Carolina Reaper.
Upon creating the final recipe for Respiro del Diavolo, the team at Aldwych could only handle the immensely hot ice cream with nuclear-proof gloves, even as cold as the ice cream is.
So why create an ice cream so hot that it burns your skin with one touch?
This is because eating it would prove to be a challenge only the bravest spice connoisseurs can endure.
Martin Bandoni’s family actually helped to create the recipe while living in Italy. Young boys in the village would attempt to eat the ice cream without a reaction to impress girls that they knew. This would end in spicy dismay as the boys would then try to cool off in the local river.
This spicy and chilly combination also intrigued Bandoni. The ice cream lights your mouth on fire, then cools it off almost simultaneously.
Your mind plays tricks on you when you try it.
Martin Bandoni, cafe owner
Although hot ice cream has been around for a while, there are none that are as hot as the dessert from Aldwych.
Because of this, Martin Bandoni decided that if he wanted to give his creation to his customers, then the ice cream shop would need some sort of legal protection to steer away any potential lawsuits. Without doing this step, Aldwych Cafe and Ice Cream Parlor would risk landing in legal battles or even the closing of their beloved shop.
Nevertheless, brave souls from all over the globe have traveled to the hills of Scotland to see if they could handle the sweet heat treat.
Would you be able to tackle the spice? Or do you think you would get burned? Let us know in the comments!
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