OUR OBSESSION WITH SPICE

Never believe a Mexican who tells you that the salsa is not very spicy or doesn't have any heat. The average Mexican has such a high tolerance for spice that even the mildest salsa for a local can feel like hell on the tongue for a foreigner visiting Mexico.

This obsession with spice is evident in many aspects of Mexican cuisine: from spicy snacks eaten at any time of the day, to spicy tamarind candies, sauces made with habanero to accompany our meals, and even eating whole fresh chilies for fun or to enhance the flavor of a dish.

But why is the Mexican so obsessed with spice? The answer may seem simple but has a significant historical context.

Chili has been a staple in Mexican gastronomy since ancient times, domesticated in Mexico over 8,000 years ago. Evidence of its use has been found in cities like Teotihuacan, Tula, and Monte Albán, where it was widely consumed by the inhabitants. It wasn't until the Aztecs that a culture around chili developed, and these traditions have persisted to this day.

With the arrival of the Spanish to Mexico, the culinary exchange between the Old World and the New World was so extensive that chili peppers were introduced back to Europe, from where they spread to the rest of the world. In a short time, chili peppers became a prominent ingredient in global cuisines.

This historical context partly explains why Mexicans use chili peppers in nearly every dish. There is a wide variety of options available (approximately 64 varieties of chili peppers), used either as additions to dishes or as the main ingredient itself.

Let's be honest, Mexicans love chili not only because of its historical context but also because it makes them happy: the compound responsible for the sensation of spiciness is called capsaicin, which stimulates the release of endorphins associated with feelings of happiness and pleasure. That's why consuming chili in small quantities can increase serotonin levels.

But we don't just eat chili in small quantities; we add it to sweet, salty, bitter, and even foods that naturally shouldn't be spicy. We even add more chili to dishes that are already spicy from the start. We're crazy, but happy. We even hold competitions with the spiciest chilies we have, like chiltepín or habanero, to see who can eat more and endure the spiciness for the longest time.

With a wide variety of chilies available—fresh, dried, smoked, prepared, or industrialized— Mexicans will always appreciate and find happiness with a spicy sensation in their mouth whenever they eat. So, if you ever visit this beautiful country, make sure to have some stomach syrup handy because if not, I can assure you that you'll suffer.