Have you had much in the way of East/South Asian foods or Latin American foods?

Speaking for the various Chinese culinary traditions because that's what I grew up with, the spiciness is usually integral to the overall flavor and mouthfeel of the dish. Szechuan food (traditionally spicy) without spice tastes off balance, as does Cantonese food (traditionally mild) with extra spiciness.

My experience with French food has been that it generally avoids significant spiciness, which is fine, but it also means that the recipes are not crafted with spiciness in mind. Szechuan recipes are definitely crafted with spiciness in mind.