Since I was a little girl, I have always loved Chilli. The hotter the Chilli better. I was born and raised in Africa into a family who simply adored spicy food.
Ntsama Chilli oil derived its name from a dear old lady called Ntsama but we all called her Mama Ntsama.
I was, still am very friendly with her daughter. She found out, (wonder how?) that I loved chilli and would have chilli in almost everything I ate. One day, jokingly I said to her all I need now is a chilli condiment that I can add to my food. She was in England on holiday from Africa. A month later, my friend brought me a large container of chilli oil and sauce which lasted a year. After that, I received same amount of chilli every year from Mama Ntsama. I urged her for the recipe and each time she declined. I got the same answer every time. ‘It is a close guarded family secret.” The recipe had been in her family for generations handed down from mother to daughter. Unfortunately for Mama Ntsama, none of her children liked chilli so she was very happy to find me, and she took pleasure in producing it for me. She did promise however, that she would give me the secret before she died.
I started experimenting with the Chilli oil at our parties, making my own dipping sauces just by adding it to mayonnaise, ketchup and the like. I would put it in soups, egg mayo sandwiches omellettes and soon, it became popular with our circle of friends. I started decanting my chilli and giving it to friends. When they would ask how the oil was made, they got the same answer from me. “It’s a close guarded family secret”.
