Discussing Bhut Jolokia With Jay Cheshes

Bhut Jolokia (King Chilly)

I completed two years of blogging on 21st April (last month).Blogging has been a wonderful experience.I met wonderful people through it.I just never thought that i would have so many friends across the world .I take this oppurtunity to thank all my blogger friends for their constant support and encouragement.The time i was away from blogger i discovered a whole new world of non-bloggers who are interested in what my room tells about North East India.Jay Cheshes is one such person.This post is not about me ,Jay or Indian hospitality ,it is like one of my closest friend said " is the glimpse to the bigger things great blogging can lead to ,a good example of what social networking is all about.'
Few weeks back i received a mail from him which said "I found your post online about Bhut Jolokia (written in 2009). I am an
American journalist working on a story about the peppers. I will be traveling to Guwahati on May 16th to report my piece and am looking for local contacts who might have knowledge of the area and the peppers. I thought I would touch base. Might you be available to meet with me while I'm in town?'' Jay Cheshes is an investigative reporter and food and travel writer based in New York.His work has appeared in Fortune,W,Radar ,New York Magazine and the New York Times amongst other publications.He also writes a weekely column on New York restaurants for Time Out New York.Right now he is here on a week long tour where he will travel to different parts of Assam exploring more on the subject. After few mails  we decided to have lunch together at my place this afternoon.

                                                         (Jay  reading more about Assamese Traditional Cooking )

Yesterday my husband bought few Bhut Jolokias from our local vegetable market .He also bought few other varities of chillies so that Jay can have a look .After exchanging few words as we met Jay expressed his desire to have a look at Bhut Jolokia as he had never seen it in real before.He asked if we have used it in any of the dishes we cooked for lunch.Before coming to Guwahati he travelled to Jaipur ,Agra and Delhi and had caught a stomach infection . I was aware of that so purposely avoided preparing a spicy meal.I asked him if he wants to taste it may be a chutney can be prepared, to which he agreed gladly .We talked a lot about Jolokias and also many other topics related to Assamese Cuisine.He read some of my old posts related to the topic.I showed him my post on  how Khar (organic soda) is made in most of Assamese household .After learning about its beneficial properties he wanted to taste it .Ma made an additional special Assamese Rice- Dish known as Khar Bhaat .

Jay wanted to learn more about the use of BJ in local cuisine .I mentioned the name of renowned Chef Atul Lahkar .Jay wanted to know more about him so I showed him this article A Moment With Chef Atul Lahkar  published yesterday in Fried Eye .He asked if a meeting could be arranged with the chef .I called up Pramathesh Borkotoky who is editor-in- chief   of Fried Eye . PB provided me chef's contact number .I talked to the chef and told him about Jay's purpose to visit Assam.It was very sweet of Chef Atul Lahkar to invite Jay for dinner to his restaurant 'King Chilly' .

 Finally it was time for lunch .It was a traditional Assamese meal(my mother-in-law had cooked it)  containing fish,chicken,green vegetables ,aromatic  Joha rice ,daal and chutneys.He noted down the names and ingredients of each and every dish ,took lots of pictures and notes. Jay  loved the food specially  vegetables and Khaar Bhaat .After lunch Chandan gave him a guided tour to our kitchen garden where we showed him different kinds of herbs and green vegetables used in Assamese cuisine .The tour involved plucking ,smelling and tasting few of them  . He tried  Neem leaf which is very bitter in taste.Soon after we rushed to our living room where two plates full of assorted local sweets waited for us.Jay wanted to buy some  local hand loom wear as a  gift for his designer  wife .I gave him few tips on the same .

After few minutes we said goodbye to each other as we had to rush to our work .As I write this Jay just finished having a delicious soup  (we talked over the phone few minutes back).He was served pork made with dried bamboo shoot and bhut jolokia ,pork with lai saak (a green vegetable) and Chicken made with sesame seeds .Chef Atul had cooked this chicken  dish for  famous Chef Gordon Ramsey and Ramsey had loved it.
Jay  will be  leaving for Kaziranga tomorrow and than to other parts of Upper Assam which he mentioned as' Heart of Bhut Jolokia .I wish Jay all the best for his story.