Why...do you wish to make more of it than it ever was by dedicating an entire thread to the subject?
People have spun more from less. Anyhow, if a bit of levity leads to a greater insight, I consider that a success.
Details that do nothing to advance the plot can be seen as touches of naturalism in the writing. A chat about chili peppers, that comes out of nowhere, would flesh out the scene with stray info, which happens in life all the time, but writers put in on purpose to mimic life. Another example in the same episode: Kirk snacking on the bridge when he tells McCoy to take a sleeping pill.
Tarantino before Tarantino? Proto-Tarantino?
If it had not been a Latino surname, would it have been "cultural appropriation"? Asking for a friend.
Chili peppers are to be enjoyed by all...well, "all" except those individuals who dislike peppers, of course.