Manuel Quiroz of Mexico can take a lot of heat. Quiroz can eat a dozen of Mexico's spiciest chilies like it is nothing. Quiroz rubs the chilies on his face and squeezes their juice into his mouth without hesitation.

Quiroz is a 54-year-old taxi cab driver and has stated that he has made thousands of dollars with his tolerance for heat and he hopes to become the world champion chili eater.

The Associate Press quotes Quiroz, "Chilies don't sting me. They don't affect me. It's like eating fruit," Quiroz states. At a market in the Mexican capital, AP reports that shoppers stared in amazement as he crunched on a habanero, the hottest chili pepper in a country that likes its food spicy. < P> Quiroz aspires to be the world champion chili but he has to find an organization that can crown him with that title. Discovering his talent at age seven, Quiroz grew up on betting people that he could eat more chilies than them and he never lost.

Quiroz gained notoriety when he entered a competition organized by a local television station and took home the $2,000 prize.

Quiroz said he plans to try to get his abilities recognized by Guinness World Records. To his knowledge, no one in the world can swallow more chilies. With Chilies being the pride of Mexico, Qurioz believes the world chili-eating champion has to horn from Mexico.

Blessed with this talent for spice, Quiroz said he has never been examined by a doctor to find out if there is a medical explanation for his extraordinary endurance to the spice.