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Coincidence, it seems.
I heard this on the Nature weekly podcast. I wanted to make a proper submission for this, but I can't get access to the paper, so all I've got is the abstract and what I heard and remember from the podcast.
Some researchers looked at thousands of recipes from all over the world to see if spicy foods really are more prevalent in hot countries (and specifically, whether they imbue antimicrobial protection from food-borne illnesses, which apparently is one theory for hot countries using hot spices), and they basically said no. The main correlation they found was that spicier spices were more prevalent with lower incomes and that it happens that hotter countries have lower incomes.
Bromham, L., Skeels, A., Schneemann, H. et al. There is little evidence that spicy food in hot countries is an adaptation to reducing infection risk. Nat Hum Behav (2021).
DOI: 10.1038/s41562-020-01039-8
ABSTRACT:
Spicier food in hot countries has been explained in terms of natural selection on human cultures, with spices with antimicrobial effects considered to be an adaptation to increased risk of foodborne infection. However, correlations between culture and environment are difficult to interpret, because many cultural traits are inherited together from shared ancestors, neighbouring cultures are exposed to similar conditions, and many cultural and environmental variables show strong covariation. Here, using a global dataset of 33,750 recipes from 70 cuisines containing 93 different spices, we demonstrate that variation in spice use is not explained by temperature and that spice use cannot be accounted for by diversity of cultures, plants, crops or naturally occurring spices. Patterns of spice use are not consistent with an infection-mitigation mechanism, but are part of a broader association between spice, health, and poverty. This study highlights the challenges inherent in interpreting patterns of human cultural variation in terms of evolutionary pressures.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by RS3 on Sunday February 14 2021, @05:09AM
IIRC someone somewhere said spices make you sweat more, and if that's true, might help the body stay cooler in hot climates?
(Score: 5, Touché) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday February 14 2021, @05:36AM
Because peppers grow best with lots of sun. Also, if you let them get too much water, they end up not being hot.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 14 2021, @05:57AM (1 child)
College friend grew up in southern China, then came to US when in his teens. He claimed the strong spices were to disguise the flavor of rotting meat--it doesn't take long in hot weather, without refrigeration. He also had his own method of preserving a meal--bring the pot of stew (or whatever liquid based) to a boil, the steam drove out most of the air (along with airborne bacteria), then he put the lid on and left it covered. Worked fairly well when the small dorm fridge was already full and there was no room for the leftovers.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday February 14 2021, @07:24PM
I'm partial to this theory. Restaurants save their oldest and funkiest steaks for customers who prefer well-done, and offload their rancid leftovers en Vinaigrette or in frittatas during brunch special.
Closer to home, it's why I always keep a bottle of Tabasco or Cholula handy. Sure hope Tabasco doesn't cancel their cayenne garlic variety that's on shelves now.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 14 2021, @09:35AM (4 children)
Spicy foods taste good. Peppers and other spices also often contain lots of vitamin C, can ease pain, and have other beneficial effects.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 14 2021, @01:57PM (2 children)
Never take vitamIn C, it is pushed by people trying to profit off you. Go to the doctor and take real medicine like a normal person.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday February 14 2021, @02:19PM (1 child)
It's also found in delicious fruits n vegetables, so who the hell cares if it also comes in a pill?
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday February 15 2021, @05:47PM
You can still take vitamins to be sure you are never deficient.
Americans have the most vitamin enriched piss in the world! And we're proud of it!
If you eat an entire cake without cutting it, you technically only had one piece.
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Sunday February 14 2021, @08:16PM
In the case of Indian foods (probably only some, I have no knowledge of particular regional cuisines), the heat from spice helps to present the range of flavors from their other spices and seasonings. The first impact is of course heat, which tends to overwhelm everything else, but as the heat dissipates your senses start to detect the various spices, almost one by one. Those who claim they don't like Indian food have probably never had it hot (spicy) enough, without that heat one tends to get a rather bland mishmash of flavors, missing out on the best experience.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 14 2021, @08:20PM
...because they don't have bland food.
(Score: 2) by The Vocal Minority on Monday February 15 2021, @05:16AM (1 child)
The mind does indeed boggle at this one. How is it that they are establishing causation? Using techniques developed by the CIA plunge a randomly selected cohort of countries into poverty and watch as their use of spices increases relative to the countries in the control group? What is the mechanism by which this is taking place? I would be disappointed if it didn't have something to do with colonialism.
Enqueuing minds want to know, but not enough to actually read TFA.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 28 2021, @08:46AM
A mere guess -- no studies to back it up. One thing about certain hot places (deserts), is that plants and animals are really hostile because of the lack of resources. In temperate climates you have a bunch of fruits, nuts, berries and such saying "please eat me" -- in the desert, everything has spines or is poisonous or, in the case of hot peppers, an irritant. All meant to discourage the random animal from eating them.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Monday February 15 2021, @05:23AM
Do spice plants die during a cold winter? If so, then people probably just eat what's in the local area, and if a local climate is temperate year-round, it would seem like it could support a variety of plant species, including the spicy ones.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 15 2021, @01:42PM
Whereas in India even the cuisines for the poor probably included spicy foods before the arrival of chilli peppers from the Americas.
BTW Koreans eat a fair bit of spicy food and their country isn't hot. Sichuan isn't that hot either and people there eat spicy stuff.
What next you're gonna ask why some countries use lots of grape wine or olive oil in their cooking and other countries don't?
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Monday February 15 2021, @05:30PM
I have not idea if it's true but I always heard spicy foods lowered your core temperature which can be helpful in hot areas.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 17 2021, @03:47AM
In general, the warmer (and wetter) the country, the greater the variety of plants
that grow there and grow there in quantity. Spices mostly come from plants, so...