Countries with hot weather often have spicy food. Why?

Have you ever thought about the countries that tend to have spicy food?  Places like:

• Mexico
• Thailand
• India
• Jamaica
• Korea
• Malaysia
• Ethiopia
• Sri Lanka
• Bangladesh

are known for having very spicy food.

Generally, you’ll find these countries are near the equator. Here is a map of many of the countries that have traditionally spicy food.

No one really knows what causes this, but there are several theories, including:

1. People eat spicy food because it makes them sweat (particularly their faces), and this helps them cool off in hot climates.
2. Food spoils faster in hot climates, and spices have antimicrobial properties that slow food spoilage, so people using spices lived longer passing spice usage on.
3. Chili peppers grow predominantly in hot climates, so it is logical that locals would use them in their cooking as they are readily available.
4. Cold food tastes better with more spices, and people in hot places are more likely to serve food unheated since they don’t have fires running constantly like people in cooler climates.

So, if you like spicy food, look for destinations near the equator, and when you are in a hot location, try eating some spicy food to cool off.

All over China I saw foods like these (you can click the pictures if you like spicy stuff -they were very popular there from what I could see) and was thankful that the packaging was clear that I should stay far away. Volcano Chicken Noodle?  No thanks 🙂

Happy travels!