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The Spicy Pineapple! Here we go!

When I first began thinking about starting my own food blog, one of my first thoughts was how to come up with a suitable name. It should be a name that represents me and is meaningful to me. So I came up with The Spicy Pineapple! The main thought behind the name is my love for spicy foods.

For a long time I’ve been known in my family to be the one who – as my husband would say – puts hot sauce on her hot sauce. We always have several kinds of hot sauce at home like tabasco, hot chicken wing sauce and – my favorite! – Piri-piri sauce. I discovered Piri-piri sauce on a trip to Portugal with my husband several years ago and immediately fell in love with it! To me, it’s the perfect combination of spicy kick and flavor.

Whenever we go “home” to South Africa (it’s where my husband was born), I always almost immediately go to the hot sauce section at the supermarket. Peri-peri sauce is very popular there, in particular the ones from Nando’s, and comes in a variety of flavors and levels of spice. Unfortunately, we never stay long enough for me to try all of them… (by the way, according to this website, Piri-piri is the correct Portuguese spelling while Peri-peri is often used in African countries)

Heaven on Seven restaurant hot sauce wall, Chicago
My dream hot sauce wall in the restaurant “Heaven on Seven”, Chicago

I love hot sauces which are spicy enough to elevate the existing flavors but don’t numb your mouth all the way. Does that make any sense to you? Do YOU love hot sauces as much as I do? Or even more?

At the beginning of the year I came across a Mexican spice mixture called Tajin. Researching the best ways to use it, I found out that in Mexico it’s popular to add it to exotic fruit like mango, pineapple and watermelon. That sounded super interesting to me! I tried adding Tajin to lots of different fruit and vegetables to test which flavor combination would work best for me. It really elevates an existing sweetness! Apples, mango and pineapple were my favorite but also carrot is very nice!

So my blog name “The Spicy Pineapple” summarizes my love for spicy food but also my love for flavor combinations like spicy and sweet, salt and vinegar etc. I love experimenting with flavor combinations and testing new things. But don’t worry, there won’t be only spicy recipes. While the name represents me and my love for spicy food, it doesn’t mean it’s the only thing that attracts me to cooking. I love cooking all sorts of stuff, I love baking, I love vegetarian food, healthy versions of common foods, Paleo recipes etc.

I just love cooking and I hope I can inspire you to do the same.

Love, Andrea

2 Comments

  1. As one who has tasted some of your marvellous recipes, I am absolutely thrilled that you are starting a blog. I look so very much forward to seeing your new creations and trying your food combinations which I know will be amazing. May the Spicy Pineapple go from strength to strength!

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