The teenage boys in my remote Northern Canadian high school grew peppers that would make Homer Simpson talk to a Johnny Cash coyote spirit just to dare each other to eat them.

I was just in Ace today and saw a lovely collection of hot sauces as I made my way to the checkout. Had to snap a couple pics of some for my friend that's always picking up hot sauces. 😆

That sounds less like "everyday flavouring" and more "this is why boys have shorter lifespans" 😅

My brother ate one and went to the Home Ec room to ask for milk but they didn’t have any so they gave him $20 and sent him off to walk to the grocery store

Pretty much the exact origin of insanely hot regional Thai dishes. Something for Manly Men to challenge each other with in the rainy season when there wasn't any fighting or hunting to be done.

2/2 I believe the Mexican place here is owned/operated by Real Mexicans, but everything is toned down to meet their customer base. Sigh.

Class and region. I'm in rural KY, which is sort of the north part of the south or the south part of the Midwest, and with the exception of one Thai place 35 miles away (and you have to point to the 'three peppers' icon on the menu), "bland" is the flavor of the day/year/aeon. 1/2

Eating spicy food actually triggers a burst of endorphins, adrenaline and other juices that make your brain happy. It's literally like facing a threat but then you survive so it feels awesome. Spicy food can become an addiction.

Everyone has an uncle who rotates strawberries and pepper crops to hurt their families even more with science

IMO it's not about class, it's about culture. US North East Coast is dominated by the legacy of European cuisine. South East is Black cuisine. Southwest is a blend of Black and Mexican. I don't know much about Midwest or North West.

Having an ace about a mile from us, I can testify that it does have some excellent food related things there