piquant (adj) - pleasantly sharp, appealing, or interesting to the taste; stimulating or exciting; poignant [pee-kahnt]
BREAKDOWN: PIC- (to prick or sting) + -ANT (state of)
piquancy is a a tart, spicy, or zesty quality (also piquance)
pique means to stimulate interest, curiosity, or anger
“At last I have what I wanted. Am I happy? Not really, but what's missing? My soul no longer has that piquant activity conferred by desire. Oh, we shouldn’t delude ourselves, pleasure isn’t in the fulfillment, but in the pursuit” —Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais
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Related to 'picaresque' somehow? I just checked the etymology, and maybe not directly related.
But certainly it's related to picante sauce, no?