America…land of the free, home of the spicy? It’s a bona fide fact that we here in the good ol’ U.S. of A. are riding the hot and spicy foods bandwagon like never before. This great article from the National Public Radio online embraces that reality:

U.S. Is A Spicier Nation (Literally) Since 1970s

by Andrea Hsu

This summer, as you season a pasta salad or make a rub for your favorite meat, consider this: The U.S. is a far spicier nation than it used to be.

The consumption of spices in the United States has grown almost three times as fast as the population over the past several decades. Much of that growth is attributed to the changing demographics of America.

“We’ve had a very big influx of immigrant populations — from Mexico, from the Far East, the Southeast Asia areas, from India,” says Peter Furth, CEO of the consulting firm FFF Associates, whose focus is specialty foods, including spices.

Immigration, Furth says, has resulted in a broader array of restaurants. At the same time, food blogs and television cooking shows have spurred more home cooking. Together, those trends have resulted in a much more adventurous national palate.

Click here to read the rest of the source article

So, as a patriotic American who embraces this notion, you should do everything in your power to continue this developing American tradition. In fact, let your civic duty take you to Jungle Jim’s this weekend for their annual Weekend of Fire event in sunny Fairfield, Ohio. We’ll see you there if you do!