Dave DeWitt is a food historian and one of the foremost authorities in the world on chile peppers, spices, and spicy foods. He has published fifty-six books, including Chile Peppers: A Global History (UNM Press). He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

José C. Marmolejo owned and operated Don Alfonso Foods, a specialty outfit of Mexican delicacies in Austin, Texas. He assisted in a PBS TV series production on fiery foods and appeared with Andrew Zimmern on Bizarre Foods. A native of Mexico, he has lived in the United States and in France, where he widened his appreciation of Mexican gastronomy. He now lives in Mexico City in a small house with a big, light-filled kitchen, where he hears the tamale and tortilla street vendors daily.