We're all aware as to how food preferences change as we grow older. In the world of culinary exploration, a fascinating trend has been seen, which is about the preference of spices in food across the globe. The correlation is unmistakable: countries that have a higher temperature have a penchant for spicier food. Conversely, colder climates seem to shy away from spicy ingredients. While outliers and exceptions exist, a tantalising question lingers: Why do dishes in warmer countries are more spicy?
This question was answered in an article published in Nature in February 2021. Researchers, armed with 33,750 recipes from 70 countries, incorporating a staggering 93 different spices, embarked on a quest to unravel the mystery behind the affinity for spicy or hotter food in places that are generally warmer. The commonly posited hypothesis suggesting that spicy food in warm countries serves as an adaptation to counter increased risks of foodborne diseases came under scrutiny.
Contrary to expectations, the researchers found the temperature alone is insufficient to explain variations in the use of spices in food. The article's abstract states, "Variation in spice use is not explained by temperature and… spice use cannot be accounted for by diversity of cultures, plants, crops, or naturally occurring spices." It challenges the prevailing notion that spicy foods act as a defense mechanism against infections in warmer regions but proposes a more intricate association between spice, health, and poverty.
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Among the alternative explanations offered, one theory suggests that spices play a pivotal role in preserving food in the scorching heat of tropical climates. Another intriguing possibility posits that individuals in hot countries have cultivated a preference for spicy food due to its perceived cooling effect.
The observed correlation between mean annual temperature and spice usage becomes apparent when scrutinizing the graph. Countries and regions basking in higher temperatures tend to integrate a greater variety of spices into their culinary creations, as evidenced by the mean number of spice ingredients per recipe.
Examining specific culinary hotspots, some of the world's spiciest cuisines hail from countries with the most scorching climates, including Indonesia, Thailand, the Caribbean, Kenya, and various Indian states like Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Ethiopia emerges as an outlier, surpassing them all in spice intensity despite a marginally lower average temperature.
A tantalizing example of Ethiopia's spice prowess is found in the renowned dish, doro wat – a fragrant, slow-cooked chicken stew celebrated for its extreme spiciness. Yet, the spice landscape is not solely determined by temperature, as evidenced by countries such as the Philippines aligning with Hungary in spice levels, while Ghana mirrors the UK in its spice conservatism.
East Asian mainland cuisines exhibit a consistent spice range, spanning between two and four spice ingredients per recipe, regardless of whether they hail from relatively cold climates (e.g., Chinese provinces of Xinjiang or Shanxi) or hotter ones (such as the Yue and Hong Kong cuisines from southern China).
Venturing into Europe's culinary realm, diversity prevails. Scandinavian countries cluster in alignment with the trendline, while Poland and Italy, both warmer and spicier, sit precisely on the correlation line. Conversely, France and German-speaking Europe, including Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, exhibit a spice-less trend akin to British culinary preferences.
Intriguingly, Portugal emerges as the spiciest European country, nearly rivaling the spice intensity found in the United States. Even within the U.S., a subtle distinction exists between recipes from the northern and southern regions, with the American South occupying a spice spectrum position akin to Lebanon and Iran. The world of spices, it seems, is a captivating journey where climate, culture, and culinary choices converge in an intricate dance of flavours.
(Edited by : Jerome Anthony)
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