I agree with you here, I was practically weaned on curries and spicy foods. Hotter is not always better. Some people go to extrrmes to show "how hot they can take it'. Why burn you mouth out as a show of strength?

Type 1 diabetes has made eating more mechanical for me. I do try to enjoy flavors as much as possible but often enough it is about survival and little else.

I'm always trying new foods here in Thailand. My only requirement, and one I often ask the Thai vendor before I buy it, is-"Is it hot?"
Thai tolerance for very hot peppers is higher than mine.

I am attempting to learn wild edibles in my area. I identified Guatemalen Cucumber yeasterday. I was confident enough to eat one, they are about grape sized. They are pretty good so tonight I had a couple dozen. So sometimes eating can be an act of courage and an adventure.

Some people like it extra spicy. My ex-husband isn't happy with spicy food unless he's sweating, crying and has smoke rolling out his ears. I'm finding that the older I get, the less spicy I like things. In fact, the way my tastes in food keep changing is one of the most interesting things about aging.