Why chilies burn
Capsaicin switches on TRPV1, a nerve receptor that normally signals heat above about 43°C. Your brain reads this as burning even though nothing is hot.
Water spreads capsaicin around
Capsaicin barely dissolves in water, so water just spreads it around your mouth. Whole milk or yogurt works best: milk fat dissolves capsaicin, and the milk protein casein binds it. Sip and hold it for a few seconds.
Where the heat is
Most of a chili's heat sits in the white ribs, the pith that holds the seeds. The seeds make little capsaicin themselves but pick some up from the pith. For a milder dish, scrape out the ribs and seeds with a spoon.
Wash your hands after cutting chilies
Capsaicin is oily and clings to skin. Wash with dish soap and warm water, which break up oil, or wear gloves while cutting. Water alone doesn't remove it, and a rubbed eye will burn badly.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
True or false: Chili heat is mainly detected by your taste buds.
False. Capsaicin targets heat-sensing nerve receptors, not taste buds.
Why does a chili pepper feel hot when nothing is actually hot?
It switches on heat sensors in nerves. Capsaicin triggers TRPV1 receptors, which signal heat to the brain.
Fill the blank: To cool a chili burn, sip ___ and hold it in your mouth for a moment.
To cool a chili burn, sip whole milk and hold it in your mouth for a moment. Milk fat dissolves capsaicin and casein binds it, lifting it off the nerves.
What went wrong? You gulp water to stop the burn from a spicy curry. The burning carries on.
Water barely dissolves capsaicin. Capsaicin is oily, so water spreads it around your mouth instead of removing it.
