SPICE: Some Like It Hot

In the land of my ancestors, tough old women smoked cheroots in reverse. They had the burning end inside the mouth. When they had something to say, with a simple flick of tongue, they���d bring out the amber end.
At meal times, they and their men didn���t pussyfoot around with food either. They���d fall heartily on the spread that was markedly spicy, flaming red and seriously, kick-ass hot.The famed Guntur chillies were central to every dish. Even at the end of the meal, curd-rice was taken with red-hot pickle or raw green chillies.
The chillies were easily the mother of the hottest chilli peppers. Dynamite stuff. "A sure-fire prescription for disaster," said doctor-father, watching the fireworks and gastronomic devilry of his elders from a safe distance, while carefully working around a specially made bland meal.
Aged relatives matter-of-factly discussed Andhra cuisine, "Everyone in the family ate like that," they said. "It kept everyone healthy. People lived well beyond 80." Such tales cheerily filled long, rainy evenings when electricity was on the blink. As kids in the 60s, we hung on to each word as the family kathas unfolded amidst much excitement.
A robust 86-year-old avva who could read without glasses said that her great grandfather joined the East India Company���s army. So wherever the officers pitched their tent the family went - but always with a good supply of Guntur chillies.
Some fought in the Carnatic wars. Excitedly, we kids would ask, "Did they fight in WWII?" That childish indiscretion was met with a chuckle. "That war was only yesterday" one old thing said between fits of laughter and coughing. Then notes on dates would be exchanged like pungent tobacco powder and paan.
Finally, a matriculate said, "Our forefathers come from a royal martial lineage. What the white man called Tilangas." Tilangas? Some 50 years after one first heard that word, it rang a bell. Then a scary thought occurred. Was it possible, just possible, that some distant relatives were in the garrison around Red Fort? How did they manage to get fresh Guntur chilli?
As anyone in the family will tell you, without that daily fiery fix, men tended to get impatient, ballistic. So did the ancient relatives chuck away their uniforms and go wild in Bahadurshah Zafar���s court? One can only imagine the worst. Dalrymple���s ���The Last Mughal��� and Ghalib���s notes are silent on this point.