The reason the Chinese eat so much chili is for a variety of reasons, which includes combating damp and humid weather, use as an affordable flavoring and also to release endorphins to provide a spicy cultural identity.
China's obsession with chili and chili peppers is a result of medicinal, historical and geographical factors.
In regions of China that have high humidity and little sunshine, such as Hunan and Sichuan China, eating spicy foods helps to stimulate circulation in the body and make your body sweat.
Traditional beliefs in China and modern wellness practices, say it helps to expel dampness from the body.
Chili peppers also arrived in China from the Americas through trade routes just over 300 years ago.
And because chili peppers were cheap to grow in backyard gardens for example, the chili peppers had become an accessible way of the working class to add vibrant flavor and excitement to their otherwise bland staple foods like noodles and rice.
Chili's also trigger your taste buds and increase production of stomach acids and saliva, which makes eating foods more enjoyable and aids in digestion.
The capsaicin in chilis, which is the active compound triggers pain receptors in your brain and the brain responds to the sensation by releasing endorphins.
The endorphins are the body's natural feel good chemicals, which can also be mildly addictive and stress relieving as well.
And before refrigeration was available, chilis were also very effective at masking the taste of preserved, drying or even slightly older meats.
And the chilis antimicrobial properties also helped to prevent foodborne illnesses in warmer climates.