Wright has explored all the cuisines of the world with a tradition of spicy food and collected these read-deal recipes with heat--you won't find any strange doctored-up version of foods that don't traditionally have a kick.

Each recipe includes a heat index so it's easy to locate a dish that's more subtly piquant or to find one that is truly incendiary. Start your engines with appetizers like Shark and Bake (deep-fried shark enrobed in deep-fried bread) from Trinidad and Meat-stuffed Red Rocoto Chiles from Peru. Then move on to Rice Noodles with Pork and Mint from Thailand, Chile Verde from New Mexico, Piquant Beef Picadillo from Bolivia, Egusi Soup (chicken and pumpkin seeds soup) from Nigeria, or Goan Fish Curry from Bengal. Wright also offers lots of recipes to accompaniments to either stoke up or help quench the fire. Throughout the book Wright includes general information on peppers and spices as well as on the cultures in which each is traditionally enjoyed.