Put me in an Indian restaurant with bowls full of the spicey chutney and I’m in heaven. When I stay in Europe my friends look at me as if I were from Neptune. Their idea of a spicy condiment is mayonaise. Luckily, I found most stores sell tobasco. Not my favorite so I always bring in a bottle or two with me. There are certain hot spices that I can’t do though. The Thai and Koreans use the extra oily peppers that don’t wear off. I can drink tobasco by the bottle and eat wasabi by the spoon full. But those little Thai peppers are killers. And I love spicy food.
At the local Indian restaurant I ask for an extra side of their hot Vindaloo sauce to their already hot curries and spicy dishes. I guess the Naan bread and rice pudding take the edge of the heat off.
It's wonderful in soups and broths!
For sauces, I have several in the fridge. McIlhenny, Crystal, Siracha, Red Hot...all for different purposes.
As a Korean friend told me once, heat in and of itself is of no value if it doesn't also have flavor!