Many people in the world love spicy food. Conversely, there are bunches of people who can\u2019t handle the heat on their taste buds. Several world cuisines incorporate spices into their foods, including countries from South America, Asia, and the Caribbean nations. Many of the people from those places love spicy food, and slowly the rest of the world is joining them in their love of these tongue-tingling dishes.<\/p>\n

Where does the heat come from?<\/h2>\n

Heat in food comes from a variety of sources, including chili peppers, mustards, or roots such as horseradish. The main flesh of a pepper can be spicy itself, but often it\u2019s the seeds that provide the heat. Many plant seeds are indigestible to grazing animals so they pass through the animal and the seeds can grow somewhere else away from the original plant. A reason why the seeds are so spicy is to ensure that either the animal passes them through or spits them out, therefore migrating the seeds to another location.<\/p>\n

Who brought it to the world?<\/h2>\n

It is believed chilies originated from Mexico, and some of the hottest food in the world can still be found there. It wasn’t until the Spanish took chilies from Mexico to Asia and India that they came into their own. Spicy foods really grew in popularity once the chili pepper made its way to India. The cooks in India were used to using hotter foods such as black pepper and ginger, but this new level of heat changed the game for chefs and cooks.<\/p>\n