Countries With the Spiciest Food

Spices have the power to make food tasty, savory, aromatic, and sweet. The preference of spice varies from one region of the world to the other. In the Middle and the Far East, spices are an integral part of the food culture, and food cannot be prepared or served without spicy ingredients. The following are countries with the spiciest foods.

Which Countries Have the Spiciest Cuisine?

Thailand

There are several ways to circumvent spicy food at a Thai restaurant in Europe or North America, but it is a lot harder to find unspiced food in Thailand. The Thai threshold for spicy is much higher than most countries, and what foreigners consider extremely spicy is usually just another flavor for the locals. Spices in Thailand range from curry, hot pepper, and ginger. Restaurants that serve spicy dishes have a competitive edge over other restaurants.

India

Spicy food in India means adding cardamom, garlic, chilies, coriander, and hot pepper. Food in India is a balance of heat and flavor. When one thinks of spicy Indian food, the spicy Goanese curry Vindaloo comes into mind. However, Rajasthani laal maas is much spicy and hotter, it was initially prepared using game meat and the spice was used to mask the gamey taste. However, the game meat trade is banned in India and the dish is prepared using goat meat. A favorite cuisine in South India is the "chicken 65". No one can pinpoint why the number “65” is attached to it, but one of the theories state that it requires precisely 65 varieties of spices to get the flavor right.

China

Spicy food is not ubiquitous in China except for the provinces of Sichuan, Hunan, Guizhou, and Yunnan. Tourists visiting these provinces should prepare themselves for food covered in a blanket of garlic, scallions, and diced chili peppers. Other parts of China consume spices depending on the native food in the region. Chinese restaurants across the globe prepare spices that are typical of Chinese cuisine.

Colombia

Colombians hardly use hot peppers in their dishes. However, this is not to say that Colombian food is without flavor. The country has some of the spiciest cuisines in the world. Cilantro, parsley, and chives are the most popular spices in the country. Colombians prefer fresh food and therefore consume products harvested directly from the farm without undergoing any form of process. It is also common for the natives to sprinkle powdered chili on fruits especially pineapples and mangoes along with lime juice.

Benefits Of Consuming Spices

A study conducted by Harvard and China National Center for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that consuming spices at least once a day lowers the mortality rate by up to 14%. Spices such as turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, and chilies also speed up metabolism. Some spices such as turmeric possess anti-inflammatory properties and have been used for decades to treat conditions such as nausea, arthritis, headaches, and autoimmune disorders. Capsaicin, an active agent, found in chili peppers slows down and destroy cancerous cells while cumin and turmeric have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties that help fight against harmful bacteria.