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No, I'm not at the patch today...
...Even though this poly-tunnel looks like mine...
I'm here in Cardiff to meet a very special man...
...And to learn some more about chillies!
Sirajul Islam came to Wales from Bangladesh almost 50 years ago.
After 30 years of owning many curry houses, he's now the judge of the best curry house in Wales.
Using chillies in his food is a part of the family tradition.
Hello, how are you?
I hear you're a big fan of chillies.
I used to grow chillies in our garden when I was younger.
We depended on our vegetable garden!
One type of chilli we used to grow was a green chilli.
The Kacha Morich...
I noticed my mother using them every day in the curry.
Especially in fish curries.
And in vegetable curries to bring more flavour.
I feel a little nostalgic here!
This is fantastic! I never knew there were so many chillies!
Are there any hot ones here?
Before coming here, I thought the dorset naga was the hottest in the world...
...But there's one other. An even hotter chilli.
It's called the maruga...
Or 'dragon's breath'
Don't go too close then!
You won't be cooking with that I hope?
No way!
If I'm good, Sirajul has promised to cook me a curry.
There's over 140 different types of chillies here.
While Sirajul decides which ones he wants to cook with...
...I'm going to have a chat with the owner, Chris Fowler.
Hello Chris!
Nice to meet you!
So, you're responsible for growing all these chillies...
...When did this interest start?
Around 8 years ago.
Which are the most popular chillies?
The most popular are aji lemon, jalapeƱo, naga....
What do you use the chillies for?
I make chilli sauce with all these chillies!
Further information about these chillies can be found on our Facebook page.
Sirajul has picked out a few chillies for the curry...
...The aji lemon and a hot chilli, the naga morich!
...Oh dear!
I'm starving now...
I'm honoured to try one of Sirajul's traditional recipes.
He adds the chillies to a selection of Bangladeshi vegetables.
Such as okra, oori, kadu and begun...
...With peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic...
The recipe can be found on our Facebook page.
What do you think?
Very nice!
It's not too spicy!
It's not food I'm used to back in Rhosgadfan...
...But who knows. I could get used to it!
It's very delicious!