Have you ever wondered why we eat chillies? I ask because they are not only capable of setting our mouths on fire as they activate the pain receptors in our tongues, but they have no real flavour. Chillies provide a heat sensation painful enough to cause our eyes to water. A glass of water does nothing to dilute the heat. Only a milky drink will help when we chew on a fiery little fruit lurking in a sauce, curry or pickle and even that doesn’t diminish all the pain.

Apparently humans are the only species that specifically seek out dishes that we know are going to cause pain. This fondness for “hot” dishes is not limited to a few nations, it is virtually universal. Nearly every culture has incorporated chillies in their cuisines. Records suggest that adding chilli to a dish began in 7000BC. Columbus later brought them to our shores. There is no tissue damage when a chilli finds itself in our mouth, but the brain is tricked to believe the tongue is on fire. It’s all strange, yet we suffer this time and again.

Millets Farm Centre, Kingston Road, Frilford, near Abingdon, staged a free chilli fiesta recently. While the autumnal sun was not too hot many of the chillies were. Crowds from all over Oxfordshire flocked to the centre, to enjoy a chilli-inspired meal at the Farmhouse Restaurant and listen to traditional Mexican live music provided by the wandering players Mariachi El Mexicano. Chilli plants were on sale.

With more than 20 exhibitors from all around the country displaying home-made relishes, jellies and sauces, there was plenty to taste. Real chilli enthusiasts took part in the Millets Chilli Challenge to see if they could tolerate the heat generated by some of the most fiery specimens.

The heat of a chilli can be determined by the amount of tears it brings to your eyes, the way you feel when the roof of your mouth is on fire, or by the Scoville scale, a method developed by Wibur Scoville (1845-1942). Today a chilli’s heat is measured by computers which rate the units of capsaicin present, capsaicin being a chemical that survives both cooking and freezing, and which is said to promote a feeling of well-being by triggering the brain to produce endorphins which are natural painkillers. Generally speaking, small chillies contain the most heat. One of the hottest chillies is the Dorset Naga. The scorching heat of this fruit combined with a distinctive aroma makes it a truly exceptional chilli, which was only discovered in 2000, and surprisingly not in South America, but in a Dorset market garden. It is so hot that anyone foolhardy enough to chew on one will only do this once before discovering themselves in hospital. Sarah Airey from Woodstock was a stallholder at Millets. Her fascination with chillies began when she made gift jars of chilli jam for Blenheim Palace Christmas Fair. It was Scotch Bonnet chilli, similar to habañero, which is among the hottest chillies in the world, that she came to love. Despite its intense heat Sara found it offered flavour too. She uses it now for pickles and sauces. Her products are proving popular, as they contain no artificial flavourings or colourings and have not been cooked in a commercial factory. Each sauce has evolved as she has experimented with the many chillies she works with. There are more than 400 varieties in the world.

Sarah’s customers use her sauces to complement food or mixed with oil and herbs for marinades or dressings. They work well as dipping sauces too.

She produces six different sauces, the most successful being the lime and chilli. She also produces a chilli peanut butter which tastes scrumptious when spread on toast. Visit www.thesaucychilli.co.uk