My parents took an authentic Chinese cooking class years ago and I recall them saying that the reason was lack of meat preservation. The spices were used to help cover up the flavor of the meat that may or may not be spoiled. I can’t can’t verify if that is true or not.
One could assume that spicy ingredients are more prevalent because that where they grow. I mean you don’t really find Habanero peppers growing natively in Michigan. Cuisines of an area usually come from what is available in the area. Coastal fish and seafood, inland herd animals and grains.
Spices repel parasites and allow meats to last longer which is why cultures that have access to them developed a cultural taste for them. Spices themselves grow only in warmer latitudes.
Something people havn’t mentioned is that a lot of ‘spicy’ compounds are anti-microbial. Cinnamon and Turmeric are anti-bacterial and Capsaicin is anti-fungal. Hot and wet climates are breeding grounds for microbes so the plants there need more natural defences against infection.
This then means that humans can use these spices themselves to preserve food. This likely wasn’t intentional (since germ theory is so new) but if curried food is safer to store in a pre-refridgeration world then it’s the culinary tradition that will last.
Why so many anti-microbial compounds taste spicy to us seems to be pure chance, but might have some value since we seem to like spice
One hypothesis is that spicy food makes people sweat, and sweating cools you down in warm climates. So eating spicy food can actually keep you cool, even though it makes you feel hot in the moment.
This is just one hypothesis, though, and I believe it’s rather new. So definitely listen to the other comments as well.
It has a lot to do with Rot, Decay, Bacteria, and Bugs.
In hotter regions: meat tends to spoil a LOT faster. Also, there tends to be more contaminates in the water (though, in the modern day… Basically all freshwater that isn’t controlled by some corporation is contaminated so this has become a moot point in the last 100ish years.)
Spices tend to burn out some of the problematic factors in a result that is not too dissimilar from boiling water.
In very cold areas, natural refrigeration is easy. A little drying, a little salt: and you’re good to go.
Hotter climates? Not so much. Bacteria grows really well there. And that destroys your food supply. Spices help with this.
Capsaicin has anti-bacterial properties, so it can be consumed for a longer time before rotting. Also, it seems paradoxical but eating spicy food actually helps you cool down. Your body experiences spice as a temperature increase and starts actively trying to cool down. Taking a hot shower does the same thing, do not finish showering with cold water when the temperature outside is high. Your body responds to the cold shower by trying to produce extra heat for an extended period after you have already showered
The answer of this is in the question it self, in warm climate conditions we as human need to keep body temperature cooler and for that we swet which helps body to be cool and with the spicy food in daily routine makes you swet more
Vasodilation, the heat cause your blood vessels to expand and lose heat easier. Same phenomenon is found with Pho in Vietnam and other cultures. It’s a counter intuitive phenomenon but that’s the idea. All the meat and flavor stuff is valid too but I think the vasodilation explains more the questions point and why it is still so popular.
Food preservation. All those spices do more than make a dish more exciting, it prevents or slows bacterial growth. In cold climates it’s not necessary as cellars could store food for a longer time and colder climates are dryer so drying out food is also a reasonable option. In hot and humid climates keeping food cold was hard or impossible until modern refrigeration. Spices (which also happen to grow in warmer climates) could do the trick.
There seems to be a lot of anecdotal or straight misinformation here… if I recall correctly, pepper and spicy fruits evolved as a way to fight bacteria and other pathogens that would otherwise be killed off in areas where significant freezing dampers their growth. The people living in those climate found those plants tastes appealing (such as to overwhelm otherwise unsavory foods).
Comments
The things that makes food taste spicy tends to also cause sweating so it actually can cool you down to eat spicy food!
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The spicy food grows there. Never heard of peppers growing anywhere near snow. You can grow em in a desert though.
Plants that produce high heat grow in warm climates.
It’s quite simply because peppers and black pepper are native to and grow best in places with warm climates.
The only spicy plants that grow well in cooler climates are horseradish, wasabi, and mustard.
I live at the ass end of the planet where it gets quite cold and I eat spicy food. Sure, we have to import chillis, but we still love them!
My parents took an authentic Chinese cooking class years ago and I recall them saying that the reason was lack of meat preservation. The spices were used to help cover up the flavor of the meat that may or may not be spoiled. I can’t can’t verify if that is true or not.
One could assume that spicy ingredients are more prevalent because that where they grow. I mean you don’t really find Habanero peppers growing natively in Michigan. Cuisines of an area usually come from what is available in the area. Coastal fish and seafood, inland herd animals and grains.
Spices repel parasites and allow meats to last longer which is why cultures that have access to them developed a cultural taste for them. Spices themselves grow only in warmer latitudes.
Cuisines tend to be driven by what ingredients are locally available. Spices and peppers grow in warm climates.
Eat spicy food in cold climate, sweat and die of hypothermia.
Not likely, but the chance isn’t 0.
Two theories I have. 1) induces sweating. 2) it stretches for longer and you eat less
One theory is that because it tricks your brain into thinking you are hot, it causes you to sweat. The sweat evaporates cooling the individual
Something people havn’t mentioned is that a lot of ‘spicy’ compounds are anti-microbial. Cinnamon and Turmeric are anti-bacterial and Capsaicin is anti-fungal. Hot and wet climates are breeding grounds for microbes so the plants there need more natural defences against infection.
This then means that humans can use these spices themselves to preserve food. This likely wasn’t intentional (since germ theory is so new) but if curried food is safer to store in a pre-refridgeration world then it’s the culinary tradition that will last.
Why so many anti-microbial compounds taste spicy to us seems to be pure chance, but might have some value since we seem to like spice
One hypothesis is that spicy food makes people sweat, and sweating cools you down in warm climates. So eating spicy food can actually keep you cool, even though it makes you feel hot in the moment.
This is just one hypothesis, though, and I believe it’s rather new. So definitely listen to the other comments as well.
It has a lot to do with Rot, Decay, Bacteria, and Bugs.
In hotter regions: meat tends to spoil a LOT faster. Also, there tends to be more contaminates in the water (though, in the modern day… Basically all freshwater that isn’t controlled by some corporation is contaminated so this has become a moot point in the last 100ish years.)
Spices tend to burn out some of the problematic factors in a result that is not too dissimilar from boiling water.
In very cold areas, natural refrigeration is easy. A little drying, a little salt: and you’re good to go.
Hotter climates? Not so much. Bacteria grows really well there. And that destroys your food supply. Spices help with this.
Spicy stuff actually cools you down since it makes you sweat more.
Capsaicin has anti-bacterial properties, so it can be consumed for a longer time before rotting. Also, it seems paradoxical but eating spicy food actually helps you cool down. Your body experiences spice as a temperature increase and starts actively trying to cool down. Taking a hot shower does the same thing, do not finish showering with cold water when the temperature outside is high. Your body responds to the cold shower by trying to produce extra heat for an extended period after you have already showered
The answer of this is in the question it self, in warm climate conditions we as human need to keep body temperature cooler and for that we swet which helps body to be cool and with the spicy food in daily routine makes you swet more
That may be a burning sensation for you, but that is a taste in itself which some of us like.
What you’re saying is like, why do people drink espresso when it gives you a bitter sensation. It’s a taste in itself.
Vasodilation, the heat cause your blood vessels to expand and lose heat easier. Same phenomenon is found with Pho in Vietnam and other cultures. It’s a counter intuitive phenomenon but that’s the idea. All the meat and flavor stuff is valid too but I think the vasodilation explains more the questions point and why it is still so popular.
The spiciness causes you to sweat which cools off your body without adding any actual heat.
Food preservation. All those spices do more than make a dish more exciting, it prevents or slows bacterial growth. In cold climates it’s not necessary as cellars could store food for a longer time and colder climates are dryer so drying out food is also a reasonable option. In hot and humid climates keeping food cold was hard or impossible until modern refrigeration. Spices (which also happen to grow in warmer climates) could do the trick.
It could be bc spicy foods actually cool you down by triggering you to sweat.
There seems to be a lot of anecdotal or straight misinformation here… if I recall correctly, pepper and spicy fruits evolved as a way to fight bacteria and other pathogens that would otherwise be killed off in areas where significant freezing dampers their growth. The people living in those climate found those plants tastes appealing (such as to overwhelm otherwise unsavory foods).
They grow well in those areas. It’s really that simple.