Spicy food leaves memories of the place where you tasted it for a long time. There are 20 “fiery” dishes in our selection, tasting most of which is available to Russian tourists.
Some of the dishes on our list contain ingredients that grow only in the homeland of the dish, so you should go there for the real taste.
EGUSI SOUP, NIGERIA
The famous Nigerian spicy soup is prepared by grinding the seeds of egusi melon, a fruit growing in West Africa. The seeds are not only rich in protein, but they also add density to the liquid and add a special flavor to the mixture of meat, seafood and vegetables. Mashed sweet potatoes are often served with the soup, which helps to soften its burning.
SICHUAN HOT POT, CHINA
The dish, which literally translates as “hot pot”, was once prepared for themselves by boaters of the Chinese Yangtze River.
Duck, seafood, chicken, pork, lamb and seasonal vegetables are all thrown into a boiling pot with cinnamon, anise, cloves and, of course, Sichuan pepper. Everything boiled in a “fiery” broth is served together with an even hotter dipping sauce.
Sichuan Hot pot Photo Flickr
CATFISH TAM, THAILAND
This fresh and spicy salad from the spice-loving Isaan Province in northeastern Thailand is a specialty of Thai restaurants around the world.
The main ingredient catfish there is unripe papaya, which is cut into strips, and then mixed with green beans, tamarind juice, dried shrimp, fish sauce and sugar cane paste are added. Thai chili pepper gives the salad a spicy taste.
Catfish salad there, Thailand Photo Wikimedia Commons
CHICKEN PIRI-PIRI, MOZAMBIQUE AND ANGOLA
The Portuguese brought this dish, also known as chicken peri-peri, to Angola and Mozambique back in the 15th century. The addition of African chili peppers to European ingredients (piri-piri means “pepper pepper” in Swahili) gave the necessary spice to this complex dish.
Chicken cuts piri-piri are marinated in chili sauce, olive oil with lemon, garlic, basil and oregano, which gives them a taste that combines salty, sour, sweet and spicy.
CHAIRMAN MAO’S BRAISED PORK BELLY, CHINA
The favorite dish of Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong is prepared by stewing pieces of pork belly with soy sauce, caramelized sugar, dried chili peppers and spices. Brisket is an integral part of the Chinese family feast.
DRIED MEAT, JAMAICA
Jamaica’s favorite pepper – the “Scotch hat” –comes in shades of green, orange, red and purple, and it is in this order that it becomes more and more spicy.
Pepper is used in the preparation of a spicy marinade for dried chicken and pork, which are smoked everywhere on the island’s roadsides from Montego Bay to Boston Bay.
Jamaican spicy chicken Photo Wikimedia Commons
AYAM BETUT, INDONESIA
Popular on the Indonesian islands of Bali and Lombok, the dish is a chicken stuffed with spice paste (betut), which is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed to maximize the taste of meat.
The paste is made from fresh hot chili peppers, galangal (a root related to ginger), candlemuts, shallots, garlic and turmeric.
Ayam betut is served at religious ceremonies in Bali, but it can also be found in local restaurants.
BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS, USA
Buffalo wings, which are said to have been invented at a bar in Buffalo, New York, in 1964, are among the most spicy dishes in the world (other popular options include teriyaki wings and wings with honey and garlic). They are made fiery by a sauce that includes cayenne pepper, butter, vinegar, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce.
SHRIMP AGUACHILES, MEXICO
A dish of raw pickled shrimp from the western Mexican state of Sinaloa tastes the same as ceviche, but much sharper. Tiny chiltepin peppers (they look like bright little berries) give spicy magic to the shrimp aguachiles, which means “pepper water”.
Mexican shrimp aguachiles Photo Wikimedia Commons
PAD KA PRAO, THAILAND
The perfect dish if you want something satisfying. Pad ka prao can be found in street stalls and restaurants from Bangkok to Koh Samui. The dish, which is considered Thai fast food, is a mixture of minced pork, spicy Thai chili pepper and basil.
BEEF RENDANG, INDONESIA AND MALAYSIA
Spicy meat from the island of Sumatra is also popular in neighboring Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, as well as in the Philippines.
The composition of this fragrant dish includes Kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, star anise and red chili pepper. It is often given to guests and served during festive events.
DAKDORITANG, SOUTH KOREA
Fermented cabbage kimchi is probably the most spicy Korean dish that comes to mind, but if you want something special, then try dakdoritang.
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The pungency of the chicken stew is doubled thanks to generous doses of gochugaru (Korean chili powder) and gochujang (Korean chili paste) mixed with rice wine, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and sesame oil.
FAAL KARI, BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND (HOMELAND – BANGLADESH)
This British-Asian tomato-based curry, invented in Birmingham, England, is considered one of the most spicy curries in the world.
PENNE AL ARRABBIATA, ITALY
The name of this classic Italian pasta dish gives an idea of what to expect. Arrabbiata means “angry” in Italian. Penne al Arrabbiata combines a relatively simple penne pasta seasoned with a fiery sauce.
Penne al Arrabbiata, Italy Photo spicryl.com
CHICKEN CHETTINAD, INDIA
This dish mainly uses Indian spices such as star anise, pepper, kalpasi (stone flower) and marathi mocha (dried flower pods). Chicken pieces are stewed in a mixture of fried spices and coconut and are traditionally served with boiled rice or thin South Indian pancakes called dosa, fried chapatis or naan.
Chicken Chettinad, India Photo Wikimedia Commons
DORO WAT, ETHIOPIA
A fiery blend of Ethiopian spices called berbere (chili pepper, basil, cardamom, garlic and ginger) plays an important role in the aromaDoro Wat, a spicy chicken stew from Ethiopia.
This dish, decorated with boiled eggs, almost always finds a place on the table during religious and family holidays.
MAPO TOFU, CHINA
In a popular dish from the Chinese province of Sichuan, pieces of tofu are mixed with minced meat (pork or beef) and a spicy paste of fermented beans and hot Sichuan pepper.
The fiery red color of tofu Mapo can also be a warning to the uninitiated: the taste of Sichuan cuisine causes mouth numbness called paresthesia, which people tend to love or hate.
Mapo tofu, China Photo Wikimedia Commons
VINDALOO, INDIA
A dish with a burning taste originally from the Indian state of Goa was not spicy and it is In this state, chefs still use milder spices such as cinnamon and cardamom to make it.
Vindaloo, India Photo сookipedia.co.uk
MAFE, SENEGAL
Senegalese chefs are also big fans of the “Scotch Hat” pepper, named due to the plant’s similarity to the Scottish tam-au-chanter hat. Its spice is generously used in one of the favorite dishes of this West African country — a spicy stew of tomatoes and peanuts called mafe.
The dish is prepared only from meat, from meat with the addition of vegetables or only from vegetables.
CHILE, USA
There are two pure forms of American chili pepper – with or without red beans. They are seasoned with dishes of New Mexican cuisine, for example, stewed meat. A mixture of fried green New Mexican chiles (half non-spicy, half spicy), onion and garlic powder is added to the sauce.
Anna Popova
