• In Laura Esquivel’s Like Water For Chocolate, Tita’s passion for Pedro is sublimated by cooking. The evocative book about repressed passion has a memorable scene where Tita cooks up vats of Chipotle chillies at a wedding feast. Her cooking is so magical that the ardour she feels is experienced by the wedding diners
• In Joanne Harris’ Chocolat, a confection with chillies is created ‘‘to incite the passions’’
• Fresh green chillies are rich in vitamin C (about twice that of citrus fruits); red chillies are full of betacarotene; and dried chillies have vitamin A
• Chillies also have antibacterial qualities and contain bioflavinoids, the antioxidant commonly found in apple juice
• The heat in chillies causes the heart to beat faster, causing the body to sweat. Sweat glands are the body’s natural air-conditioner—little wonder people in the tropics are huge fans
• Eaten in moderation, chillies activate a sluggish digestion