Kimball’s new chicken noodle soup with ghost peppers is so spicy that you have to sign a waiver to try it. This is what it really tastes like.
Spicy flavors have been added to Campbell’s line of soups, but Chunky Ghost Pepper Chicken Noodle will not be on grocery store shelves. Instead, those who want to be a taste tester must sign a waiver and hope to be selected for the opportunity.
Beginning Jan. 27 at 1 p.m. ET, spice lovers can visit ChunkySpicyWaiver.com to enter for a chance to be one of 500 people chosen to receive a can of spicy soup, as well as a “cooling kit” of useful soup, a portable fan and some paper towels, among other accessories.
The waiver will warn of side effects, such as “excessive tearing, involuntary mouth flapping and the urge to scream, ‘Man, it’s hot.'” But it will also tell Campbell’s fans that the promotion is fun. On the waiver site, where fans can currently sign up for alerts when the form goes live, the brand says, “PS: The waiver is just for fun! Do you think our legal team will let us do a legit one?! “
Nonetheless, Chunky Ghost Pepper Chicken Noodle is said to be 13 times hotter than Chunky Spicy Chicken Noodle, according to the Scoville Scale, a measure of chili spiciness developed by pharmacist Wilbur Scoville in the early 1900s. Chef Rich Hinojosa, executive chef at Crujiente Tacos, who works with a variety of peppers in the kitchen, says the ghost pepper is one of the hottest peppers.
“Banana peppers are in the 500 SHU (Scoville heat unit) range, jalapeños are in the 5,000 SHU range, habaneros are in the 100,000 SHU range and some peppers are over 1,000,000 SHU,” Hinojosa says Yahoo Lifestyle. “At one time, ghost peppers were the hottest peppers in the world, with a spiciness level of more than 1,000,000 SHU.”
“I’ve eaten these peppers fresh, sun-dried and fermented in different kinds of hot sauces,” he adds. “Ghost peppers originated in India and were used to heat chutneys and curries.”
So what does the soup of this premium spice taste like? I tried a can of Chunky Ghost Pepper Chicken Noodle and was pleasantly surprised at how hot it was. When I opened the can in my kitchen and took a whiff, I expected my nose to be irritated by the spiciness of the ghost pepper broth, but that wasn’t the case. There was a hint of spice in the soup’s aroma, but it was neither overpowering nor offensive.
I like spicy food so much that I’ve asked my favorite Thai and Indian restaurants to really crank up the spice and have been on the hunt for the spiciest variety of chicken wings, but once I did heat up the soup on my stove, the heat level was nevertheless worth giving up.
Instead, the spicy flavor of the soup was perfectly balanced with the comforting chicken noodle soup ingredients I know and love (like noodles, chicken, celery and carrots). The broth was orange in color thanks to the addition of ghost peppers, and each bite had a spicy flavor that was more like an aftertaste.
The soup is definitely spicy, but not the kind of experience that will have you sweating profusely and running for a glass of milk. That said, the spiciness does add up. With each bite, my mouth becomes more aware that I’m not drinking just any chicken noodle soup. Nonetheless, the soup was delicious and very palatable.
For those who come across this limited edition Chunky, Hinojosa has some advice, especially for those who are more sensitive to spices. “I find that dairy products, such as milk, yogurt or sour cream, can coat the palate and help cool the heat from the spices,” he says. “My favorite pairing with extremely spicy foods is a Riesling from Germany – it’s loaded with acid and lots of residual sugar. These wines are not only delicious, but they cool down the taste buds.”
