January 20, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC
In the streets around Singapore’s touristy Bugis Market, at least 15 restaurants serving extra-spicy hotpot laced with Sichuan pepper have popped up in recent years, displacing the less-fiery Cantonese eateries that once dominated the area. An annual chile festival in Berlin, historically a hotbed of bland food, has grown from 500 participants in 2020 to more than 6,500 last year. In the US, “swicy”—a portmanteau marrying heat and sweet that’s trending on TikTok—is appearing on ever more restaurant menus.
Diners worldwide are increasingly seeking ou…
January 20, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC
In the streets around Singapore’s touristy Bugis Market, at least 15 restaurants serving extra-spicy hotpot laced with Sichuan pepper have popped up in recent years, displacing the less-fiery Cantonese eateries that once dominated the area. An annual chile festival in Berlin, historically a hotbed of bland food, has grown from 500 participants in 2020 to more than 6,500 last year. In the US, “swicy”—a portmanteau marrying heat and sweet that’s trending on TikTok—is appearing on ever more restaurant menus.
Diners worldwide are increasingly seeking out palate-numbing foods that their parents or grandparents would rarely have considered—or even encountered. A 2024 survey by ingredient maker Kalsec found that two-thirds of consumers in a dozen major markets had jacked up the spice quotient of their meals in the previous year. One-third of China’s 1.4 million restaurants serve the peppery cuisines of Hunan or Sichuan provinces—which account for just over 10% of the mainland population. In the US, 95% of eateries feature at least one blazing menu item, with tongue-burning flavors creeping into pizza, burgers, beverages and even desserts, according to Datassential. “Spicy isn’t confined to traditional categories anymore,” says Claire Conaghan, an analyst at the research firm. “Heat travels well because it’s both familiar and adaptable.”