I became enamored of Nashville Hot Chicken when I was traveling regularly to Nashville and ate lunch from Prince's Hot Chicken, the original creator of this spicy dish. I even stopped there on my way through the area on a Friday night, waited for more than an hour for my chicken and then proceeded to eat a plate of fried chicken and sides while driving.
There's something specific about the flavor of the spices that goes beyond the heat. But it's hot. In addition to this becoming a common Americana-style menu item, this has also become a flavor. Potato chips, pork rinds, chicken skin chips. I've only tried the first, and they're just not that good. Marketing and design raise your expectations, but they have a ho-hum taste. And they're not that hot.
