World's best spicy foods: 20 dishes to try

"The joy of this dish is not only the delightful warming ingredients of cinnamon, cloves, star anise and, of course, the Sichuan peppercorns, but the fact that you can cook exactly what you like in the bubbling spicy broth," says British-born Chinese chef Kwoklyn Wan, author of "The Complete Chinese Takeout Cookbook."

Duck, seafood, chicken, pork, lamb and seasonal vegetables are all fair game for tossing into the pot to simmer in a mouth-numbing broth made with Sichuan peppercorns and dried Sichuan peppers for serious kick (the dipping sauce served on the side often has chile paste, too).

Also known as Chongqing hot pot, the dish is said to have originated as a popular food among Yangtze River boatmen. It's enjoyed by those who can handle its heat all over China, not to mention elsewhere around the world.