To elaborate on what a couple other people have touched on, people have different spice tolerances, so the ultra hot foods definitely serve a purpose.

Yes, for some they are simply to feel the pain and win bragging rights with your friends. However, for people who have been eating spicy foods all their life, it's the only way we can taste anything spicy at all.

If I order a vindaloo or pad kee mao at an average Indian or Thai restaurant, it doesn't taste spicy at all. If I order it "Indian hot" or "thai hot" it gets a little spicy, but it's still not pronounced or painful. Now this is great most of the time, because that's exactly how it's intended to be eaten - by a seasoned (har har) veteran of spicy foods, so you can feel the heat but it doesn't overpower the other flavors. However, sometimes you want the full feeling of spicy food - sweating, tongue and lips burning, endorphin rush, etc., and those gimmicky ultra hot sauces and dishes are the only way you can do that once you've gained a major tolerance for spice.

Yes, DH has this same complaint. I know for him, Asian cuisine tends to have the best heat plus flavor.combo. The worst offender is "American food". A lot of places that claim something is super spicy just add capsaicin extract to make the heat vs spice with flavor

I still remember an appetizer I had at a Thai restaurant that actually seared my mouth. Couldn't taste anything the rest of the meal.

Yes. Korean food is like this, IMO. I love the complex layers of Thai food but Korean all tastes the same in varying degrees of hot.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You realize that is the whole point of hot spice? To mask the flavor of the spoiled food underneath. Think it is a coincidence that hot and spicy developed in hot climates?

Not. Chilies were used for their spice and flavor but also because it kept the food from spoiling. not to mask the flavor of spoiled food.

No. Partly to mask it.

Nope. Spices are expensive and were only affordable to rich people who did not need to eat spoiled food.

Spices were expensive after traveling the spice road. Not at point of origin.

Anonymous wrote:So many weak Americans on this thread. If all you can taste in spicy food is "hot," then your taste buds are inferior.

"HOT WINGS!!!!!! BRUH!!!!!!" *orders mild, because anything else is....hot*

+1. My FIL thinks hummus is spicy. He grew up in New England and doesn't have the palate for anything except salt. Some of the people posting on this thread sound just like him.

Anonymous wrote:It's partly for this reason I don't care for Indian food. You only taste th same three or four spices over and over again and it's meaningless whether it's chicken or lamb or vegetarian. And yes, I have eaten widely in India.

You clearly haven't eaten widely in India if you think there are only 3-4 spices. Eating the hamburgers and the Delhi Marriott buffet does not count as Indian food.

So many weak Americans on this thread. If all you can taste in spicy food is "hot," then your taste buds are inferior.

"HOT WINGS!!!!!! BRUH!!!!!!" *orders mild, because anything else is....hot*

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You realize that is the whole point of hot spice? To mask the flavor of the spoiled food underneath. Think it is a coincidence that hot and spicy developed in hot climates?

Not. Chilies were used for their spice and flavor but also because it kept the food from spoiling. not to mask the flavor of spoiled food.

No. Partly to mask it.

Nope. Spices are expensive and were only affordable to rich people who did not need to eat spoiled food.

Oh, spices were certainly used to help mask the flavor of rotting or spoiling food. It was one of its many uses, along with enhancing the flavor of the food.

It was actually because chilis grow best in hot climates. Cold climates, no chilis. People cooked with what they had on hand.

And you are wrong, spices do not mask anything. They are natural antibicrobials. Thry prevent spoiliage. They are nature's medicine, not nature's mask.

It's partly for this reason I don't care for Indian food. You only taste th same three or four spices over and over again and it's meaningless whether it's chicken or lamb or vegetarian. And yes, I have eaten widely in India.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You realize that is the whole point of hot spice? To mask the flavor of the spoiled food underneath. Think it is a coincidence that hot and spicy developed in hot climates?

Not. Chilies were used for their spice and flavor but also because it kept the food from spoiling. not to mask the flavor of spoiled food.

No. Partly to mask it.

Nope. Spices are expensive and were only affordable to rich people who did not need to eat spoiled food.

Oh, spices were certainly used to help mask the flavor of rotting or spoiling food. It was one of its many uses, along with enhancing the flavor of the food.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You also have to develop a tolerance for the heat before your palate learns to discern the other flavors and how it works with the heat.

This.

And those that think Sriracha is spicy do not understand what spicy is. Sriracha is has more sweetness to it, not a true spice flavor. Just stick to salt and pepper if you don't get it.

I agree with first pp. But I also know that Sriracha can be described as spicy.

Anonymous wrote:You also have to develop a tolerance for the heat before your palate learns to discern the other flavors and how it works with the heat.

This.

And those that think Sriracha is spicy do not understand what spicy is. Sriracha is has more sweetness to it, not a true spice flavor. Just stick to salt and pepper if you don't get it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To me, this is unbearable. We were served sirarcha shrimp last weekend that tasted like nothing but peppers. Worse, the hostess didn't provide a different protein. No one except her family ate the shrimp. The rest of us had salad, corn on the cob, and lots of ice cream.

Sriracha is not that spicy unless you're not used to heat at all.

+1

Anyway sambal oelek is way better than Sriracha

Anonymous wrote:To me, this is unbearable. We were served sirarcha shrimp last weekend that tasted like nothing but peppers. Worse, the hostess didn't provide a different protein. No one except her family ate the shrimp. The rest of us had salad, corn on the cob, and lots of ice cream.

Sriracha is not that spicy unless you're not used to heat at all.