Indian ghost peppers — the hottest peppers in the world — scream «spicy»; Thai bird chiles carry piquant notes; sweeter peppers like Cubanelles and shishitos add a great sense of place.
By stumbling on a key entry in an obscure Indian encyclopedia during a Google Books search, I believe I have unlocked a major mystery in the world of chile peppers: how was a New World crop, «Bhut Jolokia», «the ghost chile,» introduced into India?