Ep 3. Hot and Spicy

Unwrapped is a delightful food and travel show that explores different types of popular and unusual foods, the stories behind their origins, and how they are made. The host of the show, Marc Summers, takes us on a culinary journey to discover the secrets behind our favorite snacks, drinks, sweets, and other foods. In season 22 episode 3, titled "Hot and Spicy," viewers will get a closer look at some of the spiciest foods and snacks that make our taste buds tingle.

The episode starts with a quick introduction from Marc Summers, who tells us that this episode is going to be all about the heat. From spicy hot sauces to fiery snacks, we'll discover how some of our favorite foods get their spicy kick.

The first segment of the show features Tabasco, one of the most famous hot sauce brands in the world. The host meets with Paul McIlhenny, the CEO of the company, to learn all about the history and production of Tabasco sauce. We get to visit the Avery Island plantation in Louisiana, where the Tabasco peppers are grown and harvested. The process of making the sauce is then explained, from the initial mash of the peppers to the aging and bottling of the sauce. This segment is a great insight into how a household name like Tabasco came to be and what it takes to create this iconic hot sauce.

The next segment is all about snacks. The host visits the factory of Herr's, a snack food company that makes a variety of chips, pretzels, and other crunchy snacks. We'll see how Herr's makes their jalapeño poppers, a popular snack that heats up the taste buds instantly. The host meets with the team responsible for creating the perfect blend of spices and crunchiness to make these snacks. The process of seasoning and baking the poppers is exciting to watch, and we get to see Marc taste them for the first time.

In the third segment of "Hot and Spicy," the host visits the world-famous Huy Fong Foods factory where they make Sriracha sauce. We'll get to meet David Tran, the founder of the company, and follow the journey of the peppers from the field to the famous green-top bottles of Sriracha. We'll see the process of making the sauce from scratch, including the blending of the peppers, the mixing of the sauce, and the bottling process. Fans of Sriracha sauce will enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at how their favorite condiment is made.

The fourth segment of the show features a company called PuckerButt Pepper Company, which makes some of the spiciest sauces and snacks in the world. Fans of super-spicy foods will love this segment, as we get to see some of the hottest peppers on the planet and learn all about the Scoville scale, which measures the heat in peppers. The host meets with the owner, Ed Currie, who walks us through his pepper farm and shows off some of the hottest peppers he has ever grown, like the Carolina Reaper. We'll also see how PuckerButt makes their hot sauce and snacks, like the fiery "I Dare You Stupit" chips, which challenge even the toughest spice enthusiasts.

The final segment of the show is all about hot drinks. The host visits a tea company called Numi Organic Tea, which makes a spicy chai tea that wakes up the taste buds. We'll get to see how the tea is made, including how the spices are blended with the tea leaves to create the perfect flavor balance. We'll also see how the tea is packaged and shipped to stores all over the world.

Overall, "Hot and Spicy" is a fantastic episode of Unwrapped that explores the world of spicy foods, snacks, and drinks. The show offers a great mix of information and entertainment, from the history of famous hot sauce brands to the making of some of the spiciest snacks around. Fans of hot and spicy foods will love this episode, but even those who don't normally seek out heat will find it interesting and enjoyable.