"hippie hot" news and stories

Having attended a small liberal arts college, I've seen my share of vegan potlucks. The other night, at a dinner party thrown by some students and alums, I had a helping of some fairly tame looking black beans that turned out to be palate-peelingly spicy. I said as much to someone else at the party and they replied, "Yeah, they're hippie hot." That comment served to stir up a question I've always pondered at potlucks and dinners throughout the years: why is it that vegan and vegetarian potluck offerings are often very heavily seasoned? Is it just me? Please tell me that there are others out there that have experienced this. Is it perhaps that some inexperienced vegan cooks fear that their food will be bland and sometimes overcompensate with spices? I don't know. I have nothing against vegan cooking on the whole. Truth be told, a friend from college makes better vegan baked goods than some of the non-vegan bakers I know. They made me a believer. I'm not suggesting that all vegans are hippies either. I'm just wondering if other folks have had similar experiences with spicy silken tofu quiche and such.