TThe first thing to understand about eating spicy food is that it is not a matter of taste. Capsaicin, the active chemical in capsicum plants that is a key ingredient in anything you consider “spicy,” evolved as an irritant that prevents mammals from chewing and breaking down plant seeds. It acts directly on the nervous system through receptors on the tongue, throat and skin (no taste buds required) and theoretically tells our body that what we just ingested needs to be disposed of as quickly as possible. The obvious question then is: why do some of us enjoy these sensations so much?
To begin to understand this, it helps to know a little more about what's going on in the body. “Imagine an engineering challenge where we need to detect stimuli in a system and quickly eliminate them,” says Liam Brown, an associate professor at UCL who specializes in the neurobiology of sensory perception and pain. “Capsaicin binds to a receptor in the body called TRPV1, which is on a specialized class of neurons called nociceptors that typically detect things that are potentially harmful to the body.” When this happens, it is like a small fire alarm going off and activating parts of the autonomic nervous system, which regulates various involuntary body functions without conscious control. “That's what leads to all these physiological effects like tears, sweating or a runny nose,” Brown says. “It’s your body trying to get rid of the irritant.”
TRPV1 (pronounced trip-vee-on if you're explaining it to someone over a delicious curry) is also activated by other things, such as raising your body temperature above 42°C (the point at which heat becomes tissue-damaging) and piperine, the main active component of black pepper, which produces a much milder response. Other hot (but not really) spicy) foods activate different receptors – mustard, wasabi and radishes are processed by TRPA1, while TRPM8 is mainly responsible for low temperatures and menthol. “You can actually find other chemicals that have much stronger effects on TRPV1 than capsaicin,” says Brown. “There is one plant, Euphorbia resinifera, which is known as 'resinous spurge' because of its association with the idea of cleansing. It contains resiniferatoxin, a compound similar to capsaicin, which is often said to be about 1,000 times more potent and truly dangerous.” Yes, ah YouTube creator tried it.
So what fun do we get from all this? After all, this is not the last event. The first evidence of humans eating chili peppers dates back to around 7000 BC in Mexico and Central America, with similar plants being cultivated around 1000 years later. Peppers were introduced to Europe around the 16th century, but since then their popularity has exploded: the global hot sauce market it is projected to be worth $5 billion (£3.8 billion) by 2030.up from just over $3 billion two years ago. WHO Really does he really enjoy shouting annoying words and drinking milk?
First, some people have different variants of the TRPV1 gene that change how easily it turns on and off once activated (interestingly, the gene is present but insensitive to capsaicin in all birds and in one species of shrew, allowing them to eat spicy seeds with impunity). But over time, the receptors also become less sensitive, so it is quite possible to develop relative immunity to moderately spicy foods or to specifically cultivate it.
As for why we like it, it might be because the feeling it evokes. “Research is still ongoing on how the human brain knows what is safe and what is not, including which foods are safe to eat,” Brown says. “Recent work emphasizes prediction, context and controllability. The idea is that when you eat something spicy, you get an initial alarm signal, similar to a 'heat' signal. With repeated exposure, the peripheral response decreases and the brain learns that the signal is safe and under control. This shift in prediction and confidence goes a long way toward explaining why the experience becomes tolerable and then rewarding.” The theory goes that the more spices you eat, the less intense the initial painful part becomes and the more relief you get afterwards.
“There's also the idea of reappraisal, or the fact that through exposure and experience we reframe the meaning of what pain is and that it is actually safe for us,” Brown says. “This sense of control and mastery matters – beyond the social and cultural component of doing it with family or friends. It's the same logic as watching horror movies or riding roller coasters, which is sometimes called 'benign masochism'. Importantly, these learning and reappraisal mechanisms also tell us something useful about pain more broadly: when a stimulus is mislabeled as threatening, reframing and regaining a sense of control can reduce its impact.” Like other initially unpleasant experiences (like running, a cold shower, or a hot sauna), working through the initial pain also triggers the body to release endorphins, turning Korean chicken wings into a mild high.
But what if you are invited to a party and you are not ready for it? The first thing to remember is that capsaicin is fat-soluble and hydrophobic: this means that if you drink water, it will stay where it is, while milk will dissolve the capsaicin and then bind to it, eventually carrying it away.
Alcohol, in case you were wondering, can dilute capsaicin, but does not bind to it and will only do its job if it is present in high percentages, meaning beer is unlikely to help. Yogurt, if you have a small saucepan, will do the same job as milk, but there is an even tastier option. “Mint ice cream contains the fat and protein needed to release capsaicin, but also activates TRPM8 receptors, which signal coolness and can reduce the ‘heat pain’ caused by TRPV1,” says Brown.
Keep the tub on hand the next time you invite people over for jalfrezi—and remind everyone that it is a cultural ritual with deep historical resonance.
