Mexican cuisine is nothing without chillies. With home-grown varieties like Jalapeño, Poblano, Serrano, Habanero and Ancho, it's hard to find a dish that doesn't carry some heat. If you're feeling brave, try Pozole. For something more approachable, go for Mexican tacos — a spicy meat mixture with beans and rich salsa ladled onto a soft white tortilla.

Wander the street food stalls along popular lanes and sniff out the spiciest stir-fries and soups you can find. Thai cuisine uses aromatic herbs, spices and vegetables to create a fascinatingly unique flavour profile beloved around the world. Try Tom Yum soup — a perfect blend of spicy and sour, with heat from Thai chillies and sourness from galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime. Fish or meat in a thick red curry sauce built on a base of shrimp paste and red chillies is another must-try.

In India, spice means layering chillies, garlic, cardamom, pepper and coriander to create curries that balance flavour and heat beautifully. For the ultimate combination of heat and meat, try Goa's pork vindaloo — made with Kashmiri chillies, ginger, garlic, pepper, cloves, cinnamon and vinegar in a combination that will set your taste buds ablaze.

Not all Chinese food is spicy, but certain regions take heat seriously. Sichuan province in the south-west is known for its liberal use of dried chillies, chilli oil and the distinctive Sichuan peppercorn — an ingredient that gives dishes a numbing, fiery zing that keeps spice lovers coming back for more.

Jamaica's most famous dish is jerk chicken, made with a hot, sticky marinade that coats your mouth in heat. But locals will tell you the real fire is in curried goat. Jamaican curried goat isn't done right without at least one Scotch Bonnet pepper — the ingredient that gives Caribbean food its signature piquancy. Potatoes or coconut milk are often added to temper the heat.

Korea's boldest offering is Buldak, which literally translates to "fire chicken." At restaurants, you can usually request your preferred heat level. The country's most well-known export, however, is Kimchi, a fermented cabbage preparation made often with hot chillies that can be seriously addictive despite the tears it may bring.

Malaysian cuisine draws on Malay, Chinese and Indian influences, making it one of South-east Asia's most complex and flavourful food cultures. For heat that hits hard, try Otak Otak — dried chillies blended with minced fish and steamed in a banana leaf. It looks deceptively mild, but one bite will change your mind entirely.

To experience genuine Ethiopian cuisine, look beyond restaurants that cater to milder palates. Berbere is a spiced chilli powder sprinkled liberally on most dishes, while Mitmita — a blend of piri piri, cardamom, cloves, cumin, cinnamon and salt — gives dishes a vibrant orange-red colour and serious depth. Don't leave without trying Doro Wat, a rich chicken stew topped with boiled eggs and berbere.

Once a key stop on the spice trade route, Sri Lanka's culinary heritage is deeply rooted in bold flavour. Curries here range from mild to punishing, but it's often the accompaniments that pack the most heat. Spicy coconut sambol — made from ground coconut, chilli paste, dried fish and lime juice — is a standout. Kukul Mas curry, made with green chillies, curry leaves, chilli powder and curry powder, is worth trying to see if it lives up to its fiery reputation.