Curry & Chili
Where grown men can still cry
If you tell someone in Wedding that they are “der Schärfste” (the hottest/sharpest), it’s a compliment from a bygone generation meaning the best, the greatest, most beautiful, and so on.
Curry & Chili, perched precariously in the middle of the crossroads between Osloer Straße, Prinzenallee and the tram tracks, celebrates itself as the hottest Imbiss in the city.
At first glance it looks just like any other run-of-the-mill snack bar, like hundreds of others in Berlin. The menu doesn't offer anything you wouldn't find elsewhere.
The unique sales point are the chili sauces available in escalating levels of spiciness, presented in a fiery ranking system. Skulls, devils, and flames on the labels warn of the impending doom on your gut.
The culinary experience becomes a test of courage, or rather, a stamina test. You learn that heat levels are measured according to the Scoville scale, which indicates the concentration of capsaicinoids. Regular Tabasco sauce has 4,000 Scoville Heat Units. The hottest sauce at this Imbiss has no less than 7,777,777 SHU 🔥
The effect on the tongue and palate is roughly equivalent to what the alien blood in Alien did to the metal decks of the spaceship.
The antidote, milk or cocoa, is also sold on-site. Carbonation only intensifies the pain.
To encourage macho behavior and boost sales, there is the Curry & Chili Club. You gain membership if you manage to consume all spice levels within six months, which must be proven with a stamp card.
If you succeed, your name and photo will be immortalized on the side wall. The photos mostly show “real men” caught mid-process with watering, bloodshot eyes or with tortured, distorted facial expressions. But there are a few ladies in the mix too – we are in Wedding after all.
If you decide to take this gamble, you might as well bring a tunnel piercing along to keep the holes open. And don't forget – chili sauces are always something you get to enjoy twice.
📍 Osloerstr./Prinzenstr., 13359 Berlin
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1100-2100, Sat 1100-1900, Sun and hols 1300-1800
