chīlli

Chili comes from Nahuatl chīlli, the Aztec word for the hot peppers they cultivated. Columbus brought chilies to Europe, thinking they were related to black pepper (they're not).

Within a century, chilies had spread worldwide. Indian, Thai, Chinese, Korean, African cuisines all adopted the New World spice as if they'd always had it.

The Columbian Exchange transformed global food, but chilies may be its most successful traveler. Cuisines that seem ancient were transformed just 500 years ago.

The Nahuatl word — in forms like 'chili,' 'chile,' 'chilli' — appears in every language that eats spicy food.