I tried three types of 'Red Pot Supervised Honkara', a retort with a whole chili pepper for spicy lovers, supervised by a chili pepper specialty store.
S&B Foods is selling three types of curry in its ' Akai Tsubo Supervised Honkara ' series, supervised by
Red Pot Supervised Spicy | Product Information | S&B Foods Co., Ltd.
https://www.sbfoods.co.jp/products/category/brand/?category=00300&brandgroup=00200&brand=04800
First, I will try the spicy beef curry (324 yen including tax). The package looks like this.
Ingredients include beef stewed in red wine, corn oil, wheat flour, spices, beef fat, sautéed onions, beef extract, salt, vegetables, tomato paste, sugar, beef bouillon, curry powder, honey, and tamarind sauce.
The back of the package stated that 0.8% of the chili peppers used were domestically grown Carolina Reaper peppers.
The spiciness ranking is 9. Calories are 157kcal per serving.
You can either heat it in a 600W microwave for 1 minute, or in a hot water bath for 3 to 5 minutes. I used the microwave this time.
When I opened the bag to pour it over rice, I was hit with the slightly pungent, pungent aroma that is characteristic of spicy dishes made with chili peppers.
Spicy beef curry served on a plate.
There was one red chili pepper in it.
The visual of the dish, which contained a whole chili pepper, made me think it looked quite spicy, so I tried it. Although it was certainly spicy, the hot kick of the chili pepper quickly faded after eating, leaving a refreshing aftertaste. At the same time, it also had a tingling sensation, and one editorial staff member who tried it commented that it 'has a taste similar to authentic mapo tofu.' While it may be a little disappointing for those seeking a hot sensation, the spiciness certainly stands out in the flavor, even if it doesn't last, so it's not recommended for those who don't like spicy food.
Next, I will try the 'Honkara Cheese Curry'. The price is 324 yen including tax.
Ingredients: cheese, shredded chicken, apple pulp, wheat flour, tomato puree, corn oil, sauteed onion, sugar, chicken and pork extract, spices, vegetables, chutney, salt, loin and garlic, fried onion paste, roasting spices, cheese powder.
The chili pepper mix is 1.0% domestic Carolina Reaper and 0.3% jalapeno, so it's likely to be more spicy than the spicy beef curry.
In fact, the spiciness ranking is '10,' which is higher than the spicy beef curry. The calorie content is 195 kcal per serving.
I heated it up and served it on a plate. The roux in the Honkara Cheese Curry is thicker than that in the Honkara Beef Curry.
When I tried it, it was clearly 'spicy' from the first bite, with my mouth burning hot and my throat stinging. The aroma was also more pungent, and as I ate it, I started to sweat, so it was clearly spicier than the real spicy beef curry. It apparently contains cheese, and while I was eating it, I could definitely taste the cheese-like flavor, and there was something cheese-like mixed in the roux, but it didn't have any effect in softening the spiciness. One of the editorial staff who tried it commented, 'I would have preferred it without the cheese.' However, there was also the acidity of the tomato and the flavor of the chicken, and I could clearly feel not only the spiciness but also the umami.
Next, I will try the 'Honkara Mapo Donburi.' The price is 324 yen including tax.
The product name is 'Donburimono no Moto (Mapo Don no Moto)' and the ingredients are tofu, corn oil, pork, granular vegetable protein, chicken and pork extract, sugar, sake, chili bean paste, vegetables, soy sauce, salt, soy sauce, pork fat, spices, sweet bean paste, sesame oil, flavored fat, yeast extract powder, chili oil, etc.
The chili pepper content was 0.7% domestic Carolina Reaper and 0.5% Korean chili peppers.
The spiciness ranking was '9', the same as the spicy beef curry. The calorie content is 176 kcal per serving.
I heated it up and poured it over rice. There was less tofu and minced meat than I expected, and the mapo bean paste seemed to be the main focus rather than the other ingredients.
Since it was said to be spicy, I was expecting the taste of authentic Sichuan-style mapo tofu, but when I actually tried the Honkara Mapo Donburi, it was quite salty, and although it had the spiciness of chili peppers, it lacked the numbing kick of Sichuan pepper, so I was a little disappointed. The strong flavor goes well with rice, but the lack of ingredients makes it a bit bland. The spiciness was strong, with a gentle, hot spiciness that lingered in the mouth, but it might not be enough for those who like very spicy food. You can also add Sichuan peppercorns, which you may have prepared separately.
The three varieties of 'Red Tsubo Supervised Honkara' are priced at 324 yen including tax and can be purchased at the S&B Foods official website and supermarkets nationwide. They are also available on Amazon.co.jp and can be purchased from the following link.
Amazon.co.jp: S&B Foods Red Tsubo Supervised Spicy Beef Curry [Microwaveable] 180g: Food, Beverages & Alcohol
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in Tasting, Posted by log1i_yk