It's the same in German. Hot mustard is "scharf" meaning sharp, but in the USA you would buy "spicy" brown mustard. Horseradish is sharp. Habaneros are hot/spic

It's the same in German. Hot mustard is "scharf" meaning sharp, but in the USA you would buy "spicy" brown mustard. Horseradish is sharp. Habaneros are hot/spicy. I agree that a raw garlic clove or the right raw onion can be "spicy", but they dont have a heat profile like something loaded with capsaicin.