Sorting chili peppers at a farm in Bogra, Bangladesh

An extra-spicy extravaganza. Hot and Spicy Food Day

The super-spicy curries of Bangladeshi cuisine start out here in the chili fields, where workers harvest and sort red chili peppers by hand. Once picked, the peppers are sun-dried and used whole or ground to powder. The chilis not only add a tasty kick to foods but help kill bacteria as well. Plus, hot foods actually help diners cool down: One natural reaction to capsaicin, the active chemical in chilis, is sweating, which can help chill the skin amid tropical heat.

We're visiting this chili harvest in honour of International Hot and Spicy Food Day. Whether you're already crazy for chilis or just looking to broaden your spicy-food horizons, today's the day to try that level five Thai curry or a burrito with habanero salsa—or if you're truly capsaicin-averse, turn up the heat with a Spice Girls or Red Hot Chili Peppers playlist.