Compliments?

Tonight, we were sitting outside enjoying a yummy, super spicy meal at one of the local restaurants. It's still summertime so needless to say we were all sweating a bit when eating the spice. We were joking that Chris seemed to be sweating out of every inch of his body!
As Chris went up to pay the bill, he told the restaurant owner (half jokingly), "Your food was so delicious that it made my ears sweat!"
Apparently, this is a compliment in our local culture. The restaurant owner began to beam with pride and profusely thank Chris for coming to his restaurant. I guess you never know quite how to compliment people!