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Here’s A Quick Way To Spice Up Your Travels

When I was a kid, I remember being in my best friend's kitchen as he suckled a bottle of Tabasco sauce for sheer pleasure.  I assumed he could inherently handle it because he was Asian, and I wasn't.  In reality, the reason had to do with the differing cultural environments in which we were brought up.  I simply wasn't exposed to spicy food on a day to day basis, so I had a minimal tolerance for it, and thus didn't find it palatable.

My misconception about spicy food changed soon after college.  I was working for a dot com company and went out for Thai food with a few coworkers.  It was only the second time I'd had it, the first being my last night in Paris several months earlier.  It was a whole new world of flavors, and I also found out people have the ability to build a tolerance to spicy food in the same way they can build a tolerance for alcohol or nicotine.  I decided to take a proactive approach toward building my tolerance for spicy food from that point forward.  It was as simple as exposing myself to it on a more frequent basis, whether it be the selection of a spicy restaurant dish or a medium-spicy salsa instead of non-spicy.

Since developing a greater tolerance for spicy foods, I've found myself in a better position to taste a wider variety of salsas and foods abroad.  Here's a sampling from my spicy past:

Belize

I took my tolerance for spicy salsas to a new level when I got hooked on the local favorite – Marie Sharp's Fiery Hot Habanero Pepper Sauce.  I brought a bottle home and dabbed the orange salsa on everything from tortilla chips to waffles.  Anything I ate lacking this fiery habanero sauce was deemed boring.

China

My friend Charlie made it a point to take me out for Hot Pot while I stayed with him in Chengdu, a city of 10 million located in China's spice province – Sichuan.  I'd already become use to the ubiquitous pool of spicy oil which accompanied our foods of choice, however Hot Pot would take the experience to a whole new level.  A cauldron of spicy oil is placed over a burner in the middle of your table, and allowed to gurgle until hot enough to cook your selected raw meats and vegetables.  The cumulative effect after a few bites was akin to sucking face with the sun – damn HOT!

But as those who enjoy spicy food know, there is an undeniable pleasure and unique excitement that comes with eating spicy foods and pushing your boundaries.

Thailand

My dare to eat one of India's hottest foods, a regional dish from Goa called vindaloo, wasn't completed until I reached Bangkok.  Yes, I know it probably wasn't the same, but as the video proves, I did my due diligence to get the spiciest chicken vindaloo the Indian restaurant's chef could cook up for me.

These are my fondest food memories, filed under spicy.  Now it's your turn.

Do you have a favorite memory from trying spicy foods abroad?

Planning a trip? Go Backpacking recommends:

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Saturday 30th of October 2010

Thank you for share very nice info. Your website is coolI am impressed by the information that you have on this blog. It shows how well you understand this subject. Bookmarked this page, will come back for more. You, my friend, ROCK! I found just the information I already searched everywhere and just couldn't find. What a perfect site. Like this website your website is one of my new favs.I like this website presented and it has given me some sort of commitment to succeed for some reason, so thank you

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Saturday 30th of October 2010

Thank you for give very good knowledges. Your website is so coolI am impressed by the information that you have on this blog. It shows how well you understand this subject. Bookmarked this page, will come back for more. You, my friend, ROCK! I found just the information I already searched everywhere and just couldn't find. What a perfect site. Like this website your website is one of my new favs.I like this website shown and it has given me some sort of inspiration to have success for some reason, so thank you

Dave

Saturday 5th of September 2009

Hi Elly -

I love nasi goreng! I discovered it when I arrived on Bali. Delicious! I ate it often during my 3 weeks in Indonesia.

Malaysia - I've heard great things. I'd definitely like to check out some of your beaches/islands in the north.

Dave

Saturday 5th of September 2009

Hi Elly -

I love nasi goreng! I discovered it when I arrived on Bali. Delicious! I ate it often during my 3 weeks in Indonesia.

Malaysia - I've heard great things. I'd definitely like to check out some of your beaches/islands in the north.

Elly

Wednesday 2nd of September 2009

My favourite is our Malaysian spicy food, especially when I'm going for seafood and order Szechuan soup. At first I thought it was deemed too spicy, but after awhile it's actually very tasty. On weekends, I like to make some stir-fried rice, or as we call it, 'nasi goreng'. Each home has their way of making them, as it's very simple. You only need a small amount of oil, slices of garlic and onion, 'cili kampung' or small chillies which I put into a blender, and small amount of salt. Once the oil is hot, just place the items and usually I add some anchovies and rice.

Hope you'll be travelling to Malaysia soon!

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