Why do you think people who live in some hot countries eat very spicy(辛辣的)food？Is it because the spices(调味品)make the food taste better？Is it just because their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents liked hot food, or is there somebetween spices and healthy food？

    Researchers from Cornell University think that it is because spice plants have some important chemicals. These chemicals can kill bacteria which spoil food.

    "Most common spices can kill 75 to 100of the bacteria in food, "explains one of the scientists. The bacteria grow moreand spoil food more quickly at higher temperatures. For this reason, it is more difficult to keep food from spoiling in hot climates.

    Do you like your food spicy？You answer probably tells something about the country you come from. If you like spicy food, it is possible that hundreds of years ago, when there were no fridge, people in your country started using spices to keep the food from spoiling. The traditional spicy dishes helped those people to live, healthier lives. Today, in a time of fridges, the spices just make the food taste good.