Why does chili pepper burn the mouth?
Chili pepper: to soothe the burning sensation
However, a molecule called capsaicin – or its cousins, themolecules- belonging to the capsaicinoid family – has the ability to bind to heat receptors which, in principle, are activated when food exceeds 44°C. Thus, when we eat chili peppers, our taste buds send a painful signal to our brain, asignalan alarm to warn him – wrongly – of ingesting food that was too hot. Hence, the burning sensation.
Note that the burning sensation can also occur if, after handling a chili pepper, you rub youreyes.
You probably also know that it’s completely pointless to try to drink water to relieve the burning sensation. That’s because capsaicin isn’t water-soluble. It’s even possible to detect one gram of it in ten cubic meters of water. This is, in fact, the basis on which the…Scoville scale- from 0 for neutral to 10 for explosive, with Tabasco being rated 9 for volcanic – which determines the heat of a chili pepper. A chili pepper is diluted in sugar water and as long as at least 60% of the testers can detect it, the dilution continues: x 10, x 100, x 1000, etc.
To lessen the burning sensation, it’s best to opt for milk , which can block the action of capsaicin. Or cheese , oil, or ice cream.
