Arsik Arsik Arsik is an Indonesian spicy fish dish of the Batak Toba and Mandailing people of North Sumatra, usually using the common carp (known in Indonesia as "ikan mas" or gold fish). Distinctively Batak elements of the dish are the use of torch ginger fruit ("asam cikala"), and "andaliman" (Indonesian szechuan pepper). Common Indonesian spices such as shallots, garlic, ginger, fresh turmeric root and chili are also used. Andaliman, essential for the distinctive taste of the dish, is known to grow only in the Batak highlands above 1500 metres of North Tapanuli and Samosir, hence this dish is regarded as
Chili powder may vary from mild to very hot. Hot varieties are called "cheongyang-gochugaru", since they are made from hotter cheongyang chili peppers rather than regular Korean reds. Chili powder blends are composed chiefly of chili peppers and blended with other spices including cumin, onion, garlic powder, and sometimes salt. The chilis are most commonly either red chili peppers or cayenne peppers, which are both of the species "Capsicum annuum". As a result of the various potential additives, the spiciness of any given chili powder is variable. The first commercial blends of chili powder in the U.S. were created by D.C. Pendery