Why is eastern food spicy?

Question

Why is this food spicy?

Does the food have to be spicy?

Answer 1

They have spice in life.Their lifestyle is not bland!

Think about it!

Answer 2

Those particular people have an abundance of spices and love to use them.

Answer 3

The 'spicy' flavor is usually fairly 'hot' ... and the food usually comes from a hot climate.  The 'spicy hot' in the food actually COOLS the human body down so it doesn't feel the 'caloric heat' in the air.  Does the food have to be as spicy as is eaten in it's 'native country'?  No ... I love Thai and Chinese and East Indian food, but MUST ask for them to be the 'lowest spice' possible ... they may taste 'warm' but I can still eat them and my stomach doesn't get upset, either.  So, no, they do NOT have to be as 'spicy hot' as long as you can get enough to get the 'flavor' of the food, it's okay.

Answer 4

it is because

a) spices act as a preservative

and

b) the hot and spicy flavours encourage the body to sweat which cools you down, as the countries these flavour originate from are mostly quite hot.

also the spices taste Good

x*x

Answer 5

their food is terrible without the spice, gotta have the spice.

Answer 6

Because the east was historically very rich in spices...I guess if it's there, you use it!  It doesn't HAVE to be spicy...

Answer 7

It's not really people in the east that live spicy food...it's more of people who live near the equator.  The reason for this is because we sweat when we eat spicy foods; the sweat cools us down when we're hot.

It goes hand in hand.

Answer 8

One theory is that spicy foods and warm climates go together, because in the days before refrigeration, spice acted as a preservative.

Answer 9

Its where all the amazing spices and flavours are found

Answer 10

too much steak sauce

Answer 11

Because they spice it up.

Answer 12

does curry have to be spicy?? In a way, yes.

However, there are lots of Indian food for example that aren't TOO spicy. Tandori chicken for example.

Its starnge that in very hot climates like India, Jamaica, etc. they came up with the spiciest food imaginable. Jamaican JERK spice is wicked.

Answer 13

because it tastes so good!

Answer 14

because we don't like bland food.

Answer 15

Because thats how we like it.

HOT

Answer 16

spicy eastern foods were eaten with a small amount of sauce  and a large amount of rice possibly due to resources or finances.the sauce had to be spicy or strong tasting to make an impact on the carbohhdrate.only a small proportion of eatern food is spicy.there are many thia,chinese ,indian dishes with no hot spice in at all.it seems we only import or notice the spicy foods.

Answer 17

They like the spicy farts! ha ha LOL No they may have originated to help clear sinuses if it's muggy out?

Answer 18

I think a lot of spice comes from in hot climates if you are trying to disguise that the meat has gone off a bit.  

Think of it - Cold England, France, Canada, not so spiced at all.

Answer 19

Its spicy because of the region that it was developed in. It was spicy because that’s how the masked the taste of over rip food. Also those are this spices that were available to them.

Answer 20

The reason eastern food is spicy, is that it is in fact a mild form of poisoning. In small doses it creates a heated sensation in the mouth  and is quite pleasant, but in large doses it is very bad for you, if not fatal, kind of like alcohol.

Not all eastern food is spicy, a korma is quite nice and not spicy. What I would do is if it is someone Eastern cooking for you ask if they can cook it in a "Western" or "European" way. I have friends from Gujarat and this often helps when I dine with them.