Who’s hotter?
The science of Spiciness
Who’s hotter?
The science of
Spiciness
Where in the
world is spiciness more common? Does the temperature heat have anything
to do with it? One theory says that humans started adding spices to food to kill off bacteria, while spice developed mostly in warmer climates where microbes also happen to be more prevalent. Food ordering app hellofood (hellofood.com.ng) choose the 10 hottest cuisines on earth and picked one meal for each that you can order to enjoy the maximum heat.
to do with it? One theory says that humans started adding spices to food to kill off bacteria, while spice developed mostly in warmer climates where microbes also happen to be more prevalent. Food ordering app hellofood (hellofood.com.ng) choose the 10 hottest cuisines on earth and picked one meal for each that you can order to enjoy the maximum heat.
But why does
your mouth feel like it’s on fire when you eat a spicy pepper? What happens is
that certain compounds in spicy foods activate the type of sensory neurons
called polymodal nociceptors. You have these all over your body, including your
mouth and nose, and they’re the same receptors that are activated by extreme
heat. So when you eat a chili pepper your mouth feels like it’s burning because
your brain actually thinks it’s burning. But have you noticed that not all
spicy foods are spicy in the same way?
The standard
measure of a food's spiciness is its rating on the Scoville scale, which
measures how much its capsaicin content can be diluted before the heat is no
longer detectable to humans. A sweet bell pepper gets 0 Scoville heat units,
the Tabasco pepper clocks in between 30,000-50,000 units, while Carolina Reaper
gets 1,600,000-2,200,000 units. The hottest but non-edible form of pepper is
pepper spray, which goes up to 5 million Scoville units.
But why we
continue to subject ourselves to spicy food today is still a bit of a mystery.
For some people, eating spicy food is like riding roller-coasters; they enjoy
the ensuing thrill, even if the immediate sensation is unpleasant. Some studies
have even shown that those who like to eat hot stuff are more likely to enjoy
other adrenaline-rich activities, like gambling. The taste for spicy food may
even be genetic. And if you're thinking about training a bit, to up your
tolerance for spice, know this: According to some studies, the pain doesn't get
any better. You just get tougher. In fact, researchers have found that people who
like to eat spicy foods don't rate the burn any less painful than those who
don't. They just seem to like the pain more. So, torment your heat receptors
all you want, but remember, when it comes to spicy food, you're going to get
burned.
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