Spicy food is a favorite in many parts of the world, so you may feel left out if your taste buds get used to bland food – or your tongue will burn if you taste chili without your knowledge. If you want to eat and enjoy spicy food, you better understand what makes spicy food spicy; how to process, prepare, and eat them; and how to relieve the burning sensation on your tongue after consuming it. (For the purposes of this article, the word “spicy” refers to foods that contain chili peppers).
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparing Spicy Food
Step 1. Learn about capsaicin
It's better to know the enemy you're facing before the battle, right? Chili peppers make us feel hot because they contain a chemical called capsaicin, which enters the bloodstream and “reassures” your body that your body temperature is rising.
- This is why you sweat, have an upset stomach, and sometimes get dizzy when you eat spicy food.
- Capsaicin is found in the oil in chili peppers, capsaicin can also irritate the skin and mucous membranes.
- Capsaicin is a natural defense mechanism present in some plants to prevent mammals from eating them. Most mammals can sense it and then walk away from it, but not humans.
Step 2. Think about why people love spicy food so much
Are humans as smart as mice, pigs, and other mammals? Maybe the reason lies in our brains.
The neurons of our brain are responsible for adjacent and possibly related feelings of pleasure and pain. This is why many people feel rushed when dealing with risky things, especially when they can experience harm/pain without any significant risk, such as when eating spicy food
Step 3. Understand the impact of spicy food on health
People tend to assume that spicy food causes ulcers, heartburn, and other discomforts in the digestive tract, but in fact there is no real evidence to support this assumption. If this assumption affects you, it may just be allergies you have, such as people who have allergies to dairy, fatty foods, etc.
Of course, there is scientific evidence to show that spicy foods are great for you: spicy foods make you eat fewer calories by reducing cravings for sweet/salty/fatty foods; increase calorie burning by increasing body temperature; have a beneficial impact on cardiovascular health and cholesterol levels; and, surprisingly enough, spicy food also reduces gastric acid production
Step 4. Learn how to carefully prepare chili peppers
Chili spray, of course, contains capsaicin, which is also present in chili peppers in your dinner. So you have to be careful, unless you want to feel the attack of chili spray.
- Use gloves when preparing chilies. Or, at least wash your hands while handling chilies.
- Protect your eyes and other sensitive parts. Consider wearing eye protection when chopping chili peppers. Do not rub your eyes, nose, or mouth before washing your hands.
- That's why if you have to go to the bathroom or feel itchy in sensitive areas, make sure you wash your hands before (and after!).
- The hottest part of the chili is the seeds and the inner membrane (usually white) that holds the seeds together. This is where most of the capsaicin is located. Remove these seeds when preparing chilies if you want your food to be less spicy.
Part 2 of 3: Becoming a person who likes spicy food
Step 1. Start slowly
If you're used to eating meat and potatoes, plus you rarely eat chili, you'll need to allow your body to slowly adapt to the spicy taste.
- Add a little spicy seasoning to the food you usually eat. Add a little chili powder for soup, or a little chili sauce for sauce.
- Serve chopped chilies, or chili sauce, as a separate side dish. Add sambal to your food while you are eating. This way, you can control how spicy you want it.
Step 2. Add spicy level
If your friend can eat cayenne pepper while you can only eat peppers, it's possible that he or she has developed a tolerance to capsaicin over time. You can increase your spiciness level slowly but surely, from medium to spicier. You can train your body to adapt to hot weather; as well as spicy taste. You can train yourself to adapt to hot chilies.
The Scoville scale is the standard guide to measuring the spiciness of chili peppers. The more Scoville units, the more capsaicin, the hotter the chili will be. Use this scale as a guide to determine what chili to try next
Step 3. Eat slowly and taste the spicy seasoning
Instead of trying to get rid of the pain by eating chilies all at once, eat them in small pieces, especially when you're building a tolerance for spicy foods. Spread the capsaicin in smaller doses so your body can absorb it more efficiently.
If you don't burn your tongue, you can better judge the variety of flavors in spicy foods
Step 4. Don't force it
Everyone is different. Like a guy who can drink a lot of alcohol without giving him a headache or your friend who can eat a lot of food without gaining weight, some people tolerate spicy food better than others. The term "no results without hard work" may be able to make you move forward, use common sense to determine your body's maximum ability to adapt to spicy tastes.
If you're already exhausted trying to scale your Scoville scale, you may have to accept that point as your limit. Think of all the spicy foods you've added to your diet
Part 3 of 3: Relieve the Effects of Spicy Food
Step 1. Any milk?
Otherwise, buy milk when ordering spicy Thai food. Plain milk (the more fat the better) can be an ideal remedy for the burning sensation caused by capsaicin.
- Milk contains a protein casein that works to remove capsaicin molecules from nerve receptors in the mouth.
- Cold milk has a cooling effect to relieve the burning sensation.
- The fat in milk can protect the tongue and mouth. In addition, it can create a refreshing effect and make casein work more effectively as a “cleanser”.
- Other dairy products can also help. There's a reason some foods are served with a dairy sauce, especially Mexican food which is usually served with sour cream, and curries are usually served with a yogurt sauce.
Step 2. Try a different drink
Milk is the best option, but not always a reliable option. If you're lactose intolerant, or you're at a bar with your boyfriend and if ordering a glass of milk would seem inappropriate, there are alternatives.
- Capsaicin is soluble in alcohol. This means that alcoholic beverages can get rid of some of the capsaicin content (and the burning sensation). So here's your reason to order a beer along with spicy chicken wings.
- Capsaicin is also oil soluble, so you can try gargling with some vegetable or olive oil and spit it out again (preferably at home). In addition, foods with a higher fat content such as chocolate can relieve the spicy taste.
- Sugar water is another option, especially if you're at home. The sweet (or salty) taste will mask the spiciness, so the liquid sugar will help protect the tongue and have a refreshing effect. Add about a tablespoon of sugar to a glass of water. This mixture, like any oil, will work better if you use it to rinse your mouth and then spit it out again.
- Avoid water because the refreshing effect of drinking water will be defeated by the fact that water will only spread the capsaicin in your mouth and throat.
Step 3. Reduce the burning sensation
The cold will relieve the heat, whether produced by natural heat or the capsaicin. You can treat your mouth with something cold beforehand to cool the nerve receptors, or use it after eating a mouthful of spicy food.
- Try eating cold fruit (which contains sugar) or ice cream (which contains sugar and casein) along with spicy foods. A milkshake might provide everything you need for a cool-spicy relief, fat, sugar, protective effect, and great taste.
- You can try chunks of ice to cool your mouth, but as the ice melts, you'll feel the capsaicin start to spread like you would when you drink a glass of water.
Step 4. Absorb the heat
Rice is served with spicy food all over the world. Part of its appeal is that starches like rice and bread can absorb some of the capsaicin before it hits you.
Like a sponge, foods that are light in texture can absorb capsaicin. Alternate your choice of "sponges" with spicy foods. Some people rely on marshmallows
Step 5. Wait for the pain to subside, and deal with other symptoms as they begin
You may feel that the burning sensation in your mouth doesn't go away, but the effect of capsaicin on our body only lasts about 15 minutes after we stop eating it.
- If digestive problems begin to appear, such as acid reflux, heartburn, acid reflux disease called Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), and others, deal with it as you normally do. As mentioned above, chili does not have a unique effect on the digestive system that requires special treatment.
- Try a liquid, chewable antacid, such as Pepto-Bismol, or another medication that works for you. If you experience frequent heartburn or heartburn, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the available medications (usually taken daily before symptoms appear).
- You can also use reason as a measure such as limiting the intake of foods that cause heartburn, not eating spicy foods at night because stomach symptoms are usually more painful at night, and allowing gravity to ease your digestion by standing or walking for better results. better.
