MadSci Network: Biochemistry |
Hi, Andrea. Hot peppers contain a group of chemical substances called capsaicins which provide the pungency or "heat" that burns your mouth. The degree of pungency depends on a number of factors - variety of pepper (Habenero is acknowledged to be the hottest) - degree of maturity (more mature peppers of the same variety are hotter) - growing conditions (lots of sunlight and high temperatures result in hotter peppers) - the portion of the pepper that you are eating (the inner layer of the pepper pod is hotter than the outer flesh which usually provides the flavors). There is also a difference in how the pepper affects the person eating it, depending on which particular capsaicin(s) is in the type of pepper being eaten. Responses can be immediate, delayed or prolonged and affect the lips, middle of the tongue, the throat, the back of the mouth. The reason for this variation is because of the differences in the capsaicins; because of their structure, they hook on to different areas of the oral cavity and they react to the nerves in your mouth differently. What is best to "cool" the pungent sensation in your mouth? Water gives immediate, but very brief, relief when it flushes away the free capsaicins but leaves those that are hooked on to your taste/nerve receptors. But then the hot sensation can actually feel more intense because the water rinses away the other foodstuffs that had been diluting the effects of the capsaicins. Starch foods, such as breads, mechanically remove some of the capsaicins so they can help to reduce the pungency. But if you stop to think about some very pungently hot ethnic dishes, you will notice that most are served with sour cream or yogurt or other dairy product. Traditionally, a few bites of the spicy hot food would be followed by a bit of the cleansing dairy product. That way, the heat element can be enjoyed and the other flavor notes within the food can follow. It is thought to be the protein - casein - in dairy products which detaches the capsaicins from your receptors and provides some relief. If no dairy product is handy when you are in the mood for some hot peppers, an alternative is to eat more peppers. Your nerve receptors will become numb - after awhile! Carol Crouse Food Technologist The Food Chain Ltd.
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