According to new research from the Wingstop Heat Index, 70 per cent of Birmingham residents say they love spicy food.
This puts the city just behind Manchester, at 74 per cent, and Sheffield, at 72 per cent, in a national heat ranking.
The study found that half of people in the North say they “love” spicy food, with 23 per cent rating themselves as “very good” at handling the heat.
Chris Sherriff, CEO at Wingstop UKI, said: “I have to admit, I was surprised to see Birmingham only come third.
“Growing up enjoying plenty of spice, I’d have backed Brum to take the top spot.
“Clearly, there’s some healthy competition out there.”
By comparison, only 40 per cent of people in the South say they enjoy spicy food, and just 14 per cent consider themselves good at handling it.
The research also found that 59 per cent of Northerners regularly add extra chilli or hot sauce to their food, even if it’s already the hottest option on the menu, compared to 45 per cent of Southerners.
When it comes to hot wings, more than half of Northerners (52 per cent) say they could win a spicy wing eating contest, compared to just 39 per cent of Southerners.
Across the country, nearly half (48 per cent) of spicy food fans admit they often try to “out spice” their friends when ordering, although 68 per cent later regret it.
Many people enjoy mixing spice with sweetness, with 78 per cent embracing sweet and spicy flavour combinations.
The most popular choices include sweet chilli sauce (64 per cent), hot honey (41 per cent), teriyaki (31 per cent), honey sriracha (21 per cent), and mango habanero (19 per cent).
Mr Sherriff said: “Hot Honey has been a fan favourite since we launched it last year, and it’s easy to see why – why choose between sweet and spicy when you can have both?
“Our new Hot Honey Sriracha turns things up a notch, bringing together sweet honey and a proper Sriracha kick.
“We’ve had a lot of fun with this one, and we can’t wait to hear what fans think.”
Wingstop’s Hot Honey and Hot Honey Sriracha flavours are now available at locations across the UK and Ireland.
