Recently I bought a small Kaffir plant at the Manila seedling bank but I’m not too happy with it since I find the one supplied to Rustans more aromatic and has a significant effect on my Thai recipes.

Keep it up Mr. Ed Samaniego !

Compared to our two types (labuyo and pangsigang) there are hundreds of chilli varieties in Mexico (and lately more varieties can now be found in the US) and they are eaten not just for the heat but for the flavour nuances– certain chillies to go with certain recipes. Habaneros for instance are searingly hot but also have a fruity sweetish taste. Then there are all the dried chillies, anchos, guajillos etc and the wonderfully smoky chipotle (which is just a jalapeno dried and smoked, but with a completely different flavour).

If only we could have a local source of exotic chillies i would be a very happy chillihead!

And for those into tv celebrity chefs, when it comes to mexican food, forget the poseur Bobby Flay; the real deal is Chicago-based chef Rick Bayless, owner of the Frontera Grill and Topolobampo restaurants, who really knows his mexican cooking, way beyond the usual gludgy Americanized Tex-Mex combo plates.

Of course, if you want real Mex, the best is to skip all the gringo chefs altogether and go to an ethnic Mexican cook’s home. Most Filipinos (and indeed most non-Mexicans) have no idea of genuine Mexican cooking– the richness, variety, sophistication and exotic flavours of an ancient cuisine that has as little to do with Taco Bell as Chow King has with authentic Chinese food. There’s really only one way to find out about mexican food and chillies really–that’s right — visit the country.

Yes, you can’t beat the prices of produce here especially when you have to pick them yourselves.