Why Spicy?

[Khnom]

"why eat spicy food in a hot climate?"

Perhaps for the same reasons the West invented cold beer and ice cream

[Yorkie]

Perhaps for the same reasons the West invented cold beer and ice cream

Who invented cold beer? It wasn't England!

If I drink hot coffee on a morning on the stoep, I rarely sweat at all.

If I drink cold beer, I'm sweating within seconds.

[jayenram]

Please could we calm down a little on this thread.

Also I'm moving it to the Thai food forum.

[OlRedEyes]

Why so spicy? Coz lots of spice (sometimes) makes bland cooking edible.

[UnknownPoster]

Remants of spicy food was found in Roman ruins.

Lead poisoning dulls the taste buds..therefore spicy food is needed.

I see loads of illogical activity in Thailand so I may be on to somthing...

[phomsanuk]

wasnt it originally to stop rotten food tasting bad ----food, particularly meat goes off quicker in a hot county

Of course. Eat rotten food, die. Eat rotten food with chillies, like the taste, die. Brilliant!

Hmmm, I also heard that the spicy Indian curries were to cover smelly but not poisonous foods.

Also spicy food tends to increase your metabolism and makes you perspire cooling in a hot damp climate.

Generally speaking spicy food is very healthy if you can handle the taste. Start young.

[londonthai]

not sure about increasing of metabolism - but spices are increasing digestion.

hot spices, like chilli, do irritate slightly intestines and speed up gut moovements. Overdoing on the chilli might cause ulcers at any age but should not be given to kids because of the higher risk of gut problems

[IMA_FARANG]

wasnt it originally to stop rotten food tasting bad ----food, particularly meat goes off quicker in a hot county

That seems to be one of the most popular theories.....that the spices help to mask the taste of meat that is slightly pass it's prime. Note that tropicals countries with hot and humid climates seem to have food with a lot of spices in it.

[ilyushin]

No fridges available in the past for leftovers. Spices as previously mentioned keeps the food from not spoiling so fast and bugs out. Also really hot & spicy food can make bad booze even taste good!

[meandwi]

I was tought that before the Thai's used Chilli peppers for spice, they used Black pepper fruit and ginger to get the desired "Hot" taste for their food. Pepper has been one of the most ancient commodities of the spice trade. Together with ginger, it has the longest history of export from South Asia dating back at least 4000 years! Marco Polo brought these spices from asia to europe which started the whole Asia / Indian spice trade.

The black pepper plant is also used to produce white pepper, both of which are among the most important Indian spices. Peppercorns have been eagerly sought by Europeans since ancient times. The pungent fruits, or peppercorns, were known in classical Rome and were well established as an article of commerce. The Emperor Marcus Aurelius imposed a customs tax on white pepper and the related species long pepper (Piper longum) arriving at Alexandria, but exempted black pepper.

Long after the decline of the Roman empire, Europeans continued to prize pepper. It was the lure of pepper and other spices which brought the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama to the Indian coast in 1498. Other European countries were soon to follow and set up rival trading companies.

By the Middle Ages, pepper was of great importance in Europe to season or preserve meats, and to overcome the odours of rancid food. Peppercorns were very expensive and were accepted in lieu of money in dowries, taxes and rents. This still survives in the phrase 'peppercorn rent', which now means virtually free - exactly the opposite! A pepperers' guild of wholesale merchants was founded in London in 1180 and was later incorporated into a spicers' guild. In 1429 it was succeeded by the Grocers' Company which still exists today. The original pepperers and spicers were the predecessors of apothecaries, emphasising the role spices played in traditional medicine.

I hope this information is helpful.

Meandwi

[B Fuddled]

Thais are very sensual and aesthetical people. They love to assault all of the senses almost to the point of overkill.

listening: 110+ decibels

touch: more sensual massaging than most cultures

smell: inhalers

sight: ornamentation upon ornamentation

taste: hot, hot, hot, sweet, sweet, sweet

esp: ghost and spirits lurking in every dark corner

[Yorkie]

No fridges available in the past for leftovers.

Leftovers? In Thailand?

[chuchok]

I was tought that before the Thai's used Chilli peppers for spice, they used Black pepper fruit and ginger to get the desired "Hot" taste for their food. Pepper has been one of the most ancient commodities of the spice trade. Together with ginger, it has the longest history of export from South Asia dating back at least 4000 years! Marco Polo brought these spices from asia to europe which started the whole Asia / Indian spice trade.

The black pepper plant is also used to produce white pepper, both of which are among the most important Indian spices. Peppercorns have been eagerly sought by Europeans since ancient times. The pungent fruits, or peppercorns, were known in classical Rome and were well established as an article of commerce. The Emperor Marcus Aurelius imposed a customs tax on white pepper and the related species long pepper (Piper longum) arriving at Alexandria, but exempted black pepper.

I hope this information is helpful.

Meandwi

Yep,bang on the money here.Some Thai dishes today still use peppercorns.

[dee123]

did anyone know that medieval briton used to eat "ballat"

[dee123]

just wondered

[wine-o]

It's nice to see so many gastronomic historians on this site. You hit the nail on the head meandwi with your post on the use of black pepper and ginger to season Thai food before the Portuguese arrived in SE Asia. I just finished reading the following book:

"Spice - The History of a Temptation" by Jack Turner

ISBN 0-375-70705-0

The title covers everything about the European spice trade but doesn't venture into chile's at all. A recommended read for those inclined. Bought it at Kinokuniya Siam Paragon.

[Ygg]

Hi,

My girlfriend told me they like spicy food because it gives them more power for long days and hard work. Also more power for bed time. I think maybe its because they like the taste (me to).

[jayenram]

My girlfriend told me they like spicy food because it gives them more power for long days and hard work.

I thought Thai men eat spicy food also?

[bikerlou47]

i have a few theories but they are out of left field

does anyone know why Thai food is so spicy?

why eat spicy food in a hot climate?

this being an open question for other (warm climate) countries as well where spicy is common

THAI food was never spicy intil the portugeese came here they introduced the chili pepper, by grinding the chili into a powder and mixing it you have pet. You want pet mak ma just grind more chillis!

[popshirt]

i have a few theories but they are out of left field

does anyone know why Thai food is so spicy?

why eat spicy food in a hot climate?

this being an open question for other (warm climate) countries as well where spicy is common

THAI food was never spicy intil the portugeese came here they introduced the chili pepper, by grinding the chili into a powder and mixing it you have pet. You want pet mak ma just grind more chillis!

Spicy is GREAT. Just, please don't pollute perfectly good food with the horrible FISH SAUCE. I know this is off topic but it really puts me off most Thai food. In the US it is used very sparingly and the taste of rotten fish is not dominant as it is here, especially in the papaya salads. I simply cannot eat it.

[CbrLad]

Guys it is true that it so popular to hide slightly off food. Most spices of this type actually orginate from Africa (Ethiopia for one) of all places (along with coffee BTW). Spice to asia was introduced during the times of the spice trade. I am not sure who brought it to Thailand, but it could have been any of the countries that were plying the spice trade.

[crowbait]

The "active" ingredient in chilli is capsaicin (from Wikepedia)

The substances that gives chili peppers their intensity when ingested or applied topically are capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) and several related chemicals, collectively called capsaicinoids. Capsaicin is the primary ingredient in pepper spray.

When consumed, capsaicinoids bind with pain receptors in the mouth and throat that are normally responsible for sensing heat. Once activated by the capsaicinoids, these receptors send a message to the brain that the person has consumed something hot. The brain responds to the burning sensation by raising the heart rate, increasing perspiration and releasing the body's natural painkilling chemical, endorphin.

The "heat" of chili peppers is measured in Scoville units (SHU). Bell peppers rank at 0 (SHU), New Mexico green chilis at about 1,500 SHU, jalapeños at 3,000–6,000 SHU, and habaneros at 300,000 SHU. The record for the hottest chili pepper was assigned by the Guinness Book of Records to the Naga Jolokia, measuring over 1,000,000 SHU. Pure capsaicin, which is a hydrophobic, colorless, odorless, crystalline to waxy solid at room temperature, measures 16,000,000 SHU.

Endorphins are midly addictive. As your body gets accustomed to the heat of chillis the production of endorhins is reduced. This is why Thais have to have more & more chillis in their food 'coz they don't get the "buzz" without it.

Edited September 28, 2007 by crowbait

[realthaideal]

"Spicy is GREAT. Just, please don't pollute perfectly good food with the horrible FISH SAUCE. I know this is off topic but it really puts me off most Thai food. In the US it is used very sparingly and the taste of rotten fish is not dominant as it is here, especially in the papaya salads. I simply cannot eat it."

Sounds like you're putting two fish-based sauces together. One is Naam Pla, fish sauce which is the filtered brown liquid made by fermenting fish with salt. This has a very light taste and most people can't get enough of it. The more controversial cousin, or even predecessor really is Pla Raa or Pla Daek depending who's talking about it. It is a very stinky concoction of fermenting/ decaying fish that often includes parts or whole specimens in different stage of decay. This stuff is thick and muddy looking and you can smell it from quite a distance - or it can really fill up a house with fun smells fast. Many Thais consider it necessary to som tam and a few other dishes. Pla Raa is pretty much never used in the US. You'd have to beg n explain you wanted it b4 they'd ever use it for you there. And of course to some Thais it's almost like an aphrodisiac. They just have to have it.

As another poster mentioned, the Britts, and indeed the Romans had Pla Raa like sauces as well. Theirs was called liquamen or garum. Wiki it! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garum

[YaiJung]

"Spicy is GREAT. Just, please don't pollute perfectly good food with the horrible FISH SAUCE. I know this is off topic but it really puts me off most Thai food. In the US it is used very sparingly and the taste of rotten fish is not dominant as it is here, especially in the papaya salads. I simply cannot eat it."

Sounds like you're putting two fish-based sauces together. One is Naam Pla, fish sauce which is the filtered brown liquid made by fermenting fish with salt. This has a very light taste and most people can't get enough of it. The more controversial cousin, or even predecessor really is Pla Raa or Pla Daek depending who's talking about it. It is a very stinky concoction of fermenting/ decaying fish that often includes parts or whole specimens in different stage of decay. This stuff is thick and muddy looking and you can smell it from quite a distance - or it can really fill up a house with fun smells fast. Many Thais consider it necessary to som tam and a few other dishes. Pla Raa is pretty much never used in the US. You'd have to beg n explain you wanted it b4 they'd ever use it for you there. And of course to some Thais it's almost like an aphrodisiac. They just have to have it.

As another poster mentioned, the Britts, and indeed the Romans had Pla Raa like sauces as well. Theirs was called liquamen or garum. Wiki it! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garum

I think popshirt is talking about "naam pla". I completely agree with him about the horrible rotting fish smell. I know many people don't agree with me and to them its just salty, but to me it overpowers whatever dish its in and I don't even want it on the table with me, muchless in the food I am eating. And just for the record, I'm talking about Naam Pla(fish sauce), not Pla Raa(the fermenting chunky black fish mixture).

As for all the chilli I think many people just love spicy food. It also is great to cover up for the use poor quality ingredients. I notice too that the combined use of chilli's and Pla Raa is used by some for weight loss/management....watch them run for the WC after a somtam feast.

[sabaijai]

wasnt it originally to stop rotten food tasting bad ----food, particularly meat goes off quicker in a hot county

Of course. Eat rotten food, die. Eat rotten food with chillies, like the taste, die. Brilliant!

if the meat does go slightly off, which is sometimes a deliberate choice in Thai food, the chilies will prevent uncomfortable intestinal symptoms because they kill organisms which cause food borne illness. For this reason, many hot climates have very spicy foods to ward off food borne illness, and travelers in areas with minimal hygienic practices would be wise to eat spicy foods along with the locals.

Thailand is hot and muggy, ideal conditions for growing bacteria, so Thai food is hot and spicy as a preventative

Yeah. Right. What did they do before they had chillies? (Oh, and what do people who eat rancid food, like game in the UK, do?)

Black pepper, which is called 'Thai pepper' (phrik thai) in Thai, because it's native to the region.

[zzdocxx]

did anyone know that medieval briton used to eat "ballat"

what is it?

[Acquiesce]

did anyone know that medieval briton used to eat "ballat"

what is it?

I was about to ask the same question.

[realthaideal]

Love the food fight by end of pg 1 of this thread betw Acquiesce n MarkBKK, very spicy indeed!

[pampal]

I read somewhere that colder countries used salt as a preservative mainly, and hotter countries used pepper.

But the middle east is pretty hot and they use more salt than pepper.

[londonthai]

spicies are not preservatives - even if they have antibacterial and antivital properties.

they do boost digestion and an immune system.

salt is used in the middle east (as well as in thailand) along with sugar or drying foods