By Marita Bester
In 2014, Anthony Bourdain visited Chiang Mai and documented his experience in his field notes titled “Parts Unknown.” He wrote how he and fellow American Chef Andy Ricker embarked on a “bender” in a tuk-tuk, moving from place to place to “shove delicious things” into their faces.
Bourdain expressed his love for spicy foods: “I don’t like pain. I don’t even like minor discomfort. Except when we are talking food, in which case the older I get, the spicier and more painful I want it. It is one of the things that hooked me earliest and most irrevocably about Southeast Asia.”
Appreciating the delicate balance in Thai dishes, he noted, “It takes a master to build the deeply pleasurable slow boil you find in some Thai dishes, the delicate interplay of sweet and sour and spicy. The gradual build-up of pleasure/pain to the point that you feel your vision starts to get weird.”
Anthony Bourdain in Thailand
He vividly described his experience with spicy food, “First, it would go fuzzy around the edges and gradually it would shutter into full-on-tunnel vision, tongue burning on all sides, lips inflamed, nape of neck and forehead beaded with sweat.”
When you visit your local Thai eatery, if you’re a regular, they likely already know your spice preference. However, if you’re new, they might ask you how spicy you’d like your food—if they ask at all. If they don’t, they might assume you want it “normal,” which means super-hot spicy by default. You may then experience the full, fiery intensity described by Anthony Bourdain. In fine-dining Thai restaurants, though, you can certainly request a less spicy version of your dish.
Using spices in Thai cooking is an art form. Thai cuisine is known for its five fundamental tastes: spicy, sweet, sour, salty, and creamy. These flavours can all be present in a single dish, with varying intensities that create a unique culinary experience.
For more precise information about the spice level beyond just tasting it, there’s the Scoville scale. This scale, named after its inventor, American chemist Wilbur Scoville, was developed in 1912 and remains in use today.
The Scoville scale operates by diluting a pepper extract with sugar water and then having human testers identify the heat level. The more sugar water needed to counteract the heat, the higher the number of Scoville Heat Units (SHU) the pepper has. To enhance accuracy and not rely solely on human testers, a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) machine is now also used alongside the Scoville scale.
In 2023, the Guinness World Records recognized Pepper X as the world’s hottest chili, boasting an average heat level of 2.69 million SHU.
Regarding how much spiciness a person can tolerate, there’s no definitive answer. Some can handle the hottest peppers with ease, while others find even a jalapeño too spicy. There are an estimated 4,000 varieties of chilli peppers worldwide, each with unique flavour profiles and heat levels. With such diversity, ranging from almost no heat to intensely fiery, it’s wise to understand the heat type before consuming or even handling them.
For some guidance on Thai flavors and spice levels, here’s a helpful “Thai Spice Scale”:
- Level 1-2: Mild
This level still imparts characteristic Thai flavours with a mild spiciness. It’s recommended for those who dislike spice or are new to Thai cuisine. - Level 2-3: Little Spicy
This is considered moderate, with perhaps an extra bird’s eye chilli or dragon chilli. - Level 3-4: Medium Spicy
Not for the faint-hearted and could be uncomfortable if you’re not used to spicy food. It’s best to work your way up to this level. - Level 4-5: Thai Hot Spicy
This is the spiciest level most Thais are accustomed to, leaving your mouth burning. If you seek a full, authentic Thai food experience, Thai Hot Spicy is the way to go.
If you enjoy the heat, be sure to have a milky Thai tea or a glass of water on hand and try to find seating near a fan or an air-conditioned restaurant. You’ll appreciate the unique combination of pain and pleasure that comes with spicy food. Just as chocolate can make you feel happier, it’s believed that spices release feel-good endorphins, contributing to a sense of well-being. It’s no wonder many people in Thailand are so happy—it must be the spicy food!
In the words of the late Anthony Bourdain: “To be fortunate enough to eat in Thailand – is a deep dive into a rich, many-textured, very old culture of flavours and colours ranging far beyond the familiar spectrum. Given our limited time on this Earth, you don’t want to miss any of it.”