• Johnny Hexburg‘s comprehensive collection of proudly South African artisanal chilli sauces has grown from a simple evolution of a local farmers market’s not-so-hot hot sauce offering in 2016 to become Africa’s leader in handcrafted homemade hot sauces.

    Using the world’s hottest chillies, the couple-owned home business has since expanded to making a range of extra spicy snacks and sweets designed as game challenges, which have quickly captured Cape Town’s attention.

    One Cup Chug Challenge

    Everyone loves a good chugging game; why else would it have become the stereotypical ingredient in most American high school or college-themed films? But when it’s hot sauce that’s being chugged, well, that’s in an entire league of its own.

    The One Cup Chug Challenge consists of one delicately handcrafted cup made of chocolate and a bottle of Johnny Hexburg Carolina Reaper pepper-infused hot sauce.

    How the challenge works:

    Pour the sauce into the chocolate cup, chug it down and wait for one minute. Fill it again, chug and wait one minute.

    Now eat your hot sauce-coated chocolate cup and enjoy a three-minute burn time during which you’re not allowed to drink any form of liquid.

    Picture: screenshot / Johnny Hexburg website

    Chocolate Mayhem Challenge

    This one’s for all the chocolate-with-a-kick lovers. We’re no strangers to the surprisingly tasty pairing of chilli and chocolate, as several chocolate companies include it in their product lines.

    But Johnny Hexburg has taken spicy and sweet to a whole new level with this challenge. mixing the world’s three hottest chillis into three chocolate slabs: Ghost Pepper, Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, and Carolina Reaper.

    How the challenge works:

    First, eat the Ghost Pepper and strawberry chocolate bar, chew and swallow within one minute, then wait for one minute without drinking.

    Repeat the process with the Moruga Scorpion and toffee chocolate bar but wait for two minutes without drinking.

    Finally, move on to the Carolina Reaper and Wasabi chocolate bar, chew and swallow within one minute, and enjoy a five-minute afterburn without any drinking..

    Picture: @johnnyhexburg / Instagram

    Suck My… Lollie Challenge 

    This one’s fairly self-explanatory.

    The aim of the game is to keep the spicy lollipop in your mouth for as long as you can. Grab your friends and see who can suck their lollipops the longest without succumbing to the burn time. 

    Picture: screenshot / Johnny Hexburg website

    Hot Sauce Box Challenge 

    Each box contains the perfect selection of Johnny Hexburg’s best-selling homemade sauces.

    1. Habanero
    2. Xtra Hot Peri-Peri
    3. Ghost Pepper
    4. Trinidad Scorpion Butch
    5. Trinidad 7 Pot Douglah
    6. Hexburg Exclusive
    7. Gunslinger

    Challenge your loved ones to a good ole’ Hot Wings Challenge, with the spiciest twist, in the comfort (and maybe safety) of your own home.

    How the challenge works:

    The aim is to eat a decided number of hot wings in five minutes. All the meat must be off the bone and no sauce can be wiped off—from the wings or your face.

    You can only drink water or milk after the first two wings have been eaten.

    If you manage to finish all 20 wings, you have to endure the next challenge: five minutes of burn time with no drinking!

    For an extra spicy challenge, pour some saucy shots of each and see who can last the longest.

    Picture: @johnnyhexburg / Instagram

    Mentally prepare your mouth, stomach lining, your body’s exit route, and your soul for a seemingly deadly spicy encounter.

    Be warned, though—there’s a reason the words “reaper” and “ghost” appear in these chillies’ names.

    You can order online here or visit their website for more spicy delicacies.

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    Written by Tauhira Ajam for Cape {town} Etc.

    Feature image: Elena Kabenkina via Getty Images