There are some of us who can't even stand to look at them--and others who can't live without them: chillies have been searing tongues and watering eyes for centuries in innumerable global cuisines. In this book, Heather Arndt Anderson explores the many ways nature has attempted to take the roofs of our mouths off--from the deceptively vegetal-looking jalapeno to the fire-red ghost pepper--and the many ways we have gleefully risen to the challenge.
Anderson tells the story of the spicy berry's rise to prominence, showing that it was cultivated and venerated by the ancient people of...