A little hot and spice never hurt anybody except maybe bring you to tears, but for the most part, spicy foods come in various dishes, and part of living in the United States is enjoying every cuisine within a car drive away. Some foods range from mildly spicy to so piping hot that you have to douse yourself with eight glasses of water. Some dishes are integral in the cuisine, while some fusions seem questionable, but don't harp on it until you try it. There's chain restaurants we highlight and local mom and pop restaurants worth noting for their spicy dishes.

The best part of the hot and spicy foods are that they are part of a cultural melting pot (couldn't help the pun) we get to dip our toes in with the rise of the foodie space of Instagram and Yelp. In honor of Hot and Spicy Food Day, here we take a look at some spicy foods that'll whet your appetite, and we even included some bonus restaurants that serve them:

10. Hot Chicken from Nashville, Tennessee
One of the few foods I wanted to try when I went to Nashville this past spring was hot chicken. Infused with heavy spices of cayenne pepper, the chicken is normally fried before the application of the spices. My Tennessee native friend had suggested Hattie B's Hot Chicken in Nashville, where the chicken comes in southern hot, mild or medium, hot!, damn hot, and shut the cluck up!!! While mild is just perfect for your average Joe, anything past damn hot will even leave the most adventurous group of burly men clucking out of the restaurant on fire. Chicken normally comes with bread and pickles. It wouldn't be Tennessee without quenching your thirst with iced tea.

Hattie B's Hot Chicken
112 19th Ave. S.
Nashville, TN 37203

[ new page = Thai Boat Noodles ]

9. Thai Boat Noodles
Originally from Thailand, Thai boat noodles consist of cinnamon and star anise in its broth cooking the rice noodles with your choice of beef or pork. While there are plenty of places to get boat noodles across the country, Hoy-Ka Thai Noodles in Hollywood stands out according to Yelp's stellar reviews. Make sure you order a Thai iced tea to go along with this hot dish.

Hoy-Ka Thai Noodles
5908 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
[ new page = Vindaloo ]

8. Chicken or Lamb Vindaloo
While curries differ from cuisine to cuisine in terms of spice, chicken or lamb vindaloos usually have a sweet and sour variation. Traditional vindaloos do not come with potatoes, but some restaurants add them in upon request. Based on customer reviews on Yelp, try the chicken vindaloo at Bengal Tiger Indian Food in New York, where the dish is served with a bed of rice and naan. At The MasalaWala at the Lower East Side, the lamb vindaloo stands out compared to the chicken version. Wash down the curries with the popular mango lassi drink, which consists of mango and yogurt to alleviate that spice.

Bengal Tiger Indian Food
Midtown West
58 W. 56th St.
New York, NY 10019

The MasalaWala
Lower East Side
179 Essex St.
New York, NY 10002
[ new page = Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles ]

7. Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles
While Sichuan foods are known to bring the heat in their dishes, dan dan noodles stand out for their sesame peanut buttery taste. Topped with minced pork, the noodles have a savory texture. You may not be able to fly to Southwest China, but Dede's Teajuice City in San Diego has customers raving over their dan dan noodles from Yelp reviews.
Dede's Teajuice City
4647 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

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6. Torta Ahogada
The torta ahogada came from Guadalajara, but that doesn't stop the restaurants sprouting everywhere inspired by this “drowned” sandwich. Characteristics of this torta include bolillo slices of bread. The chili pepper sauce drenches the fried pork sandwich garnished with onions. Top the sandwich with lime juice to dial down the heat, and be prepared for the juices to run down your arms. Try Tortas Ahogadas Guadalajara for its namesake dish. One review from Yelp states, “All in all, it's almost as good in Mexico.”

Tortas Ahogadas Guadalajara
518 N. Arizona Ave.
Chandler, AZ 85225
[ new page = Sundubu Jjigae ]

5. Sundubu Jjigae (Spicy Tofu Soup)
Composed of beef, pork, dumplings, seafood, or even a vegetarian option, this spicy soup comes cooked in a vessel pot preserving the sizzling heat. Normally, a server asks if you want a raw egg (say yes) in the bubbling soup. Served along banchan (small side dishes), the soup goes well with white rice also cooked in a vessel pot to get that crispy texture. The spice usually stems from a Korean chili paste or powder, but the level of spiciness can be adjusted according to your palette. Although there are plenty of Korean tofu houses to choose from, Ko Hyang Tofu House has the best combos for the buck without compromising on taste. Yours truly chooses medium seafood tofu soup, which comes with shrimp and clams, but a true spice fanatic will have no problem ordering the spiciest version of this soup.

Ko Hyang Tofu House
140 W. Valley Blvd. Ste 210
San Gabriel, CA 91776
[ new page = The Boiling Crab ]

4. The Boiling Crab (Yes, the restaurant chain)
The Vietnamese Cajun fusion chain might have originated in California, but the owner's Texan Vietnamese influences have spawned other seafood restaurants to put a spin on spicing up their seafood. Whatever is your poison—crabs, lobster, shrimp, clams, crawfish, mussels, oysters—you name it, this chain has it down with the Whole Sha-Bang, a concoction of lemon pepper, garlic, and the original Rajun Cajun mix. The bag of seafood comes in four levels of spices to choose from, so you can dig into the bloody mess with no shame with a bib. Most of The Boiling Crab reviews consistently rank above average on Yelp.
Check for locations in Orange County, Los Angeles County, Sacramento, San Jose, San Diego, Texas.

[ new page = Al Pastor Bowl ]

3. Al Pastor Bowl
Technically al pastor anything tastes good, but an al pastor bowl takes it to another level with the pinto beans, cilantro, onions, rice, and pico de gallo. Al pastor, pork marinated in various chillies and pineapple, has become a staple in Mexican food, but in an al pastor bowl, you get to savor the flavors. My personal favorite al pastor bowl comes from El Taco Man in El Monte. Ask for the green sauce if the red sauce isn't your cup of tea. Wash down this bowl of spice with a refreshing agua fresca pepino (cucumber water), and you'll have a food coma for hours.

El Taco Man
11741 Magnolia St.
El Monte, CA 91732
[ new page = Currito ]

2. Currito
Composed of your choice of rice, curry, meats or vegetables, this fusion food is for the vegetarians out there because anything could be substituted. However, the most accommodating restaurant comes from Curry Pundits, which has been hailed by foodies on Yelp as the Indian version of Chipotle with its various choices, including four different curries to choose from to integrate in your burrito. When my friend shared his currito with me, it was extremely spicy, but it was just right for him.

Curry Pundits
30 E. Santa Clara St. Ste 130
San Jose, CA 95113

[ new page = Hot and Sour Soup ]

1. Hot and Sour Soup
Hot and sour soups are not uncommon in Asian cuisines, but the Chinese version has components of Chinese mushrooms, bamboo shoots, shredded pork, and chicken stock. Most Chinese restaurants serve hot and sour soup family style, so hot and sour soup is one of many dishes that go along with other Chinese dishes. Based on personal experience from various Sam Woo locations, their hot and sour soup is the best. Have a taste at one of the many Sam Woo Barbecue restaurants!

Sam Woo Barbecue
140 W. Valley Blvd. Suite 107
San Gabriel, CA 91776

What are some of your favorite hot and spicy foods? Have a favorite restaurant to share? Comment below!