It may be Hot and Spicy Food Day, but at The Food Channel, every day is a celebration of the many different flavors and spices that enhance the foods we eat. We first noticed the trend toward heat and more exotic spices back in the early 90s.

Initially, it was Latin heat, expanding to Asian and eventually the western Mediterranean Rim. Today, what started as experimentation with more global spices and flavors, has grown into celebrating a more global culinary palate overall, both in its pure form, and in fusing flavors and spices together in glorious mashups. The Med Rim continues in popularity, with a heightened focus on the eastern side.

In honor of Hot and Spicy Food Day, we offer some of our favorites.

Golden Dijon Spicy Chicken Satay

Golden Dijon Chicken Skewers. Photo: Lance Mellenbruch.

For this festive appetizer, we grilled juicy marinated chicken tenders skewered on bamboo sticks, and basted them with a tangy-sweet honey mustard BBQ sauce spiked with sweet chili sauce. Simply delicious! Recipe here.

Italian Sushi Roll with Spicy Japanese Marsala

Italian Sushi Roll. Photo: Chef Ace Champion.

Don’t be fooled, you do not have to use raw, traditional, ingredients for your roll to be considered sushi – experimenting with non-traditional ingredients is the spice of life! Recipe here.

Baharat Spiced-Rubbed Roast Turkey

Baharat-Rubbed Roast Turkey. Photo: Lance Mellenbruch.

Baharat, a seasoning blend used in Middle Eastern cuisine, adds a complex warm spicy flavor to the roasted turkey. Our recipe uses pan toasted cumin, black pepper and cinnamon blended with exotic spices for a made-from-scratch Baharat blend. Recipe here.

Spicy Pumpkin Chili

Spicy Pumpkin Chili. Photo: Jim Bailey, The Yankee Chef.

The sweet taste of pumpkin works well to tone down any heat, but if it is the heat that you desire, simply mince a couple hot peppers and cook along with the onions and bell peppers. Recipe here.

Spicy Ground Aussie Lamb Nachos with Feta Cheese

Spicy Ground Aussie Lamb Nachos. Photo: Lance Mellenbruch.

Own Your Party with this epic Greek nachos recipe using Aussie lamb! You’ll get spicy Australian lamb served on fresh-baked pita chips with feta cheese, Mediterranean olive pico de gallo and tzatziki sauce. Recipe here.

My favorite for last – Open-Face Spicy Grilled Cheese

Open Face Spicy Grilled Cheese. Photo: Lance Mellenbruch.

This Open Faced Spicy Grilled Cheese is melty goodness made easy with the help of Heavy Duty Mayonnaise and a few creative toppings. Recipe here.