Carolina Reapers are some of the hottest peppers in the world. So hot, in fact, that for one man, participating in a pepper-eating contestant resulted in a painful, serious "thunderclap headache." Maria Dattola Photography/Getty Images hide caption
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New York City's Blue Hill restaurant is the biggest buyer of "Habanadas," a habanero bred to be heatless, so the focus is on its melon-like flavor. Courtesy of Blue Hill hide caption
Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton walks past the peppers at the El Rey grocery store in Milwaukee, Wis., during a campaign stop in 2008. Clinton tells NPR that she eats a fresh hot pepper a day to stay healthy on the campaign trail. She may be on to something. Carolyn Kaster/AP hide caption
The same nerve receptor that responds to the green paste on your sushi plate is activated by car exhaust, the smoke of a wildfire, tear gas and other chemical irritants. iStockphoto hide caption
Ready to feel the burn? Check out our tips for tiptoeing into hot sauce. John Kuntz/The Plain Dealer/Landov hide caption
Jasjit Kaur Singh, an Indian chef, cooks kaala channa, a traditional spicy Sikh dish. A psychologist says that children who grow up in cultures with lots of spicy food are taught to like spice early on. Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images hide caption
New research has traced chili peppers back to their origin in eastern Mexico. iStockphoto hide caption
Just a spoonful of the spicy chili paste known as harissa goes a long way Benjamin Morris/NPR hide caption