Thai restaurant spice level warning for U.S. customers has gone viral

Indian cuisine has gained immense popularity around the world. Recently, the internet came to the defense of cooking when a reporter said it was based on a single spice. Twitter users pointed out the wide array of spices used in Indian cuisine. Much like Indian cuisine, even Thai cuisine has a reputation for being immensely spicy. A Thai restaurant in Fargo, North Dakota recently posted a clarification or advisory on the spice levels in their food, much to the internet’s surprise. Looked:

Posted in every stall of a Thai restaurant in Fargo. pic.twitter.com/GheUkzq54u– Jason Wittenberg (@WittenbergJason) October 1, 2021

(Also read: 4 Effective Remedies To Cool Your Mouth After Eating Spicy Foods)

The post was shared on Twitter by user @WittenbergJason. It has garnered 162,000 likes and 15,000 retweets since the time it was shared. “Spice Level Warning 0-5. We will no longer be issuing refunds when you order your spicy food and can’t handle it, ”read the notice. The advisory was aimed at US citizens who couldn’t stand the added spiciness of Thai food and who may have requested refunds in the past when they couldn’t digest the restaurant’s fiery dishes.

According to one Twitter user, the local palates of Fargo are such that they even think tomato ketchup is spicy. A host of other users responded to the viral tweet, sharing their experiences with the hot cuisines of Southeast Asia. Some have said that restaurant staff automatically adjust spices with the taste profiles of U.S. citizens in mind.

Take a look at the reactions:

Confession: I order from Indians online under an Indian name to avoid heat discrimination – brad colfax (@bradcolfax) October 1, 2021

I ate at a Thai restaurant and asked for 4 hot peppers. The waitress looked me up and down and said “No, you have 2”.

She was probably right. – First Amendment girl ???????? (@LA_LaVilla) October 2, 2021

One of the spice levels in a local Indian place is “Canadian Spicy” ???? – ???????????? (@artisticblush) October 3, 2021

There is a Thai restaurant in the town next to where I live that deleted the numbers.

“How hot do you want it?” American, Mexican, Indian or Thai? – Lewis Morgan (@NinerDesigner) October 1, 2021

If I ordered spicy food and couldn’t stand it I would take it to my grave, I wouldn’t ask for a refund… – Oxford Comma Chameleon (@destinyspile) October 1, 2021

I’m still looking for my photo of a receipt / order form at the Thai restaurant near Macalester that said we were white. – Chris Steller (@chris_steller) October 1, 2021

Have you ever seen a similar notice posted at a local restaurant? Tell us about your experiences in the comments section.

About Aditi AhujaAditi loves to talk and meet like-minded foodies (especially those who like vegetarian momos). More points if you get his bad jokes and sitcom references, or recommend a new place to eat.