According to the American Spice Trade Association, U.S. spice consumption during the past decade has more than doubled. " Super hot spices" are showing the greatest increases. "Chili Willy" is made from selected Red Habanero Peppers, the hottest peppers known on earth. The hotness of hot peppers is often measured on a scale devised by pharmacist Wilbur Scoville in 1912. Sweet bell peppers have zero Scoville units, jalapenos measure about 5,000 and fiery Habanero a whopping 250,000 to 300,000.

Growing popularity of ethnic foods, especially spicy foods, has had a major impact on chili usage. The trend for reduce-fat food has also contributed to the growth of using hot spices. Since both flavor and textures are affected when fat is removed from foods, spices can help compensate for flavor loss. As people consume more" heat", they need more to get the same sensation. As the population ages, they will be adding more spices to their food. The reason for this is that as aging occurs, physiologically the sense of taste changes and more spices are needed to get the same level of flavor that was tasted when being younger.