1. Spicy is one of the basic flavors that characterize how food stimulates the taste buds
in the mouth. Along with sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami, spicy profiles combine
in different degrees and create the eating experience. While sweetness is the
predominant taste of desserts, the rest work together with the sense of smell in
appreciating all other kinds of food.
The term “hot and spicy food” sometimes confuses some people as its effect is
sometimes connected to actual heat (temperature) and considered a sensation
rather than a taste. A cold soup can still be spicy while something served at a high
temperature may not necessarily be so.
When preparing a fish dish, whether it’s an Asian soup or salad, a Mediterranean grill
or stew, generate a reasonable amount of spiciness either with chili peppers, spice
or other ingredients but consider the flavor and texture of your main ingredients.
Squid and shrimp that have a bite go well in spicy dishes. On the other hand you
wouldn’t want to overpower a very mild fish with too much spice.
In Chinese cuisine, XO sauce is a popular type of spicy sauce originating from Hong
Kong widely used in Cantonese cuisine. It is made from chopped dried seafoods like

2. scallops, shrimps and fish with the addition of chili, garlic, onions and oil. It’s a
versatile sauce that can be used for a wide variety of applications including
vegetarian, meat and noodle dishes. Because of its ingredients, it goes quite well
with seafood and seafood-vegetable combinations. Broccoli goes well with scallops
while asparagus is a good match for peeled large shrimp. The spiciness of the sauce
itself is enough to flavor the entire dish so all you need to do is quickly sauté the
ingredients and add XO sauce with a bit of cooking liquid and cornstarch to
develop a thick sauce that coats the food.
The garlic shrimp and pasta recipe shared is a great example of how a dish can be
very simple and adjusted for spiciness. Add more chili flakes or oil to increase the
heat. The more the spicy ingredients are minced finely or ground, the hotter it will
make the dish. Remember that in most dishes, the longer it sits or reheated, it can
get spicier and spicier. Serve it with crusty bread smeared and toasted with garlic
and butter or olive oil.
Also remember that in most dishes, the longer these sit or are reheated, they tend to
get spicier and spicier. Be careful on serving very hot dishes to young children as it
can burn their tongues. Adults as well have varying tolerances to spicy food. There
are a few who can really take their food extremely spicy while others prefer dishes
milder so they can appreciate other flavor profiles apart from the heat. Some
restaurants ask their customers the degree of spiciness they prefer while others have
a chili icon on the menu to indicate (or even warn diners) the heat of a dish.
Here’s a tip for those who accidentally bit on a chunk of chili pepper and whose
mouth is burning. Especially if the dish is on the oily side, rather that drink water or
something cold, it may be better to chew on a piece of bread or anything starchy
as this will absorb the flavor oils that could be coating the mouth. Liquids drunk will
just roll over the tongue and not help as much.
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