Taming too much heat
The burn in chiles is capsaicin. It dissolves in fat and alcohol, not water, so sipping water just spreads it around your mouth. Milk helps because its fat and its protein, casein, bind capsaicin.
Fixing a dish that is too hot
Cooking doesn't break down much capsaicin, so simmering won't fix it. Stir in coconut milk, cream or sour cream, add mild bulk like beans or tomato, and balance with a pinch of sugar. Serve rice or bread alongside.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
Your mouth is on fire from a chile. Which drink helps most?
Cold whole milk. Milk fat and casein bind capsaicin and carry it away.
True or false: Drinking water washes capsaicin away, so it is the best fix for a burning mouth.
False. Water can't dissolve capsaicin, so it spreads the heat instead of removing it.
Fill the blank: Capsaicin dissolves in ___, which is why milk helps more than water.
Capsaicin dissolves in fat, which is why milk helps more than water. Fat dissolves capsaicin and carries it off the tongue.
A curry is far too hot. What fix actually helps?
Stir in coconut milk or cream. Fat dissolves capsaicin and softens the burn.
What went wrong? You watch a guest with a burning mouth keep swishing ice water. The burn keeps coming back.
Ice water spreads the capsaicin around the mouth. It doesn't dissolve the capsaicin, so the burn rolls over more surface.