meaning - Difference between "spicy" and "hot"


I make a distinction between "hot" and "spicy" food ("hot" not referring to temperature). I consider "hot" food the kind that "burns" and "spicy" food that has lots of flavor, but that may or may not "burn", but has some "heat" to it and is flavorful.


I've been told that there is no real difference between the two and that I'm crazy for thinking that Tabasco sauce makes something "hot", while something like curry, ginger, or cumin makes something "spicy". Please help me out a little here with a little clarification.



Answer



I (and this Wikipedia article) recommend the use of the of the word piquance (or piquancy) to describe the condition of something being spicy hot, such as chili peppers.


The article explains:



A pumpkin pie can be both hot (out of the oven) and spicy (due to the common inclusion of ingredients in its recipe such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, mace and cloves) but is not actually piquant. Conversely, pure capsaicin is piquant, yet is not naturally accompanied by a hot temperature or spices.



To avoid ambiguity:



  • Use piquant [pee-kuhnt, or pee-kahnt] to describe something that is spicy hot. (The Scoville scale measures the piquance of chili peppers according to the amount of capsaicin they contain.)

  • Use spicy to describe something having the quality, flavor, or fragrance of spice. (Many curries are spicy without being piquant.)

  • Reserve hot to describe the temperature of something.


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