When she was living in London from 2014 to 2016, Hunan-born housewife Liu Yaling hankered for spicy food the most.
"It was challenging because it was mainly Western cuisine everywhere - there was no chilli," Ms Liu, 37, recalls in a mix of Mandarin and English.
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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on June 09, 2019, with the headline Her duty - and weapon - is cooking spicy dishes. Subscribe