A burning mouth, sweating, and flushing. All reactions that you can experience after eating spicy Asian food. The bad guy here is capsaicin, a chemical abundant in chili. However, are you one of those people who like the delicious taste of Asian food, but can’t handle the spice yet? This article shows you how you can level up your game and enjoy it.
The bad guy and its effects
When eating spicy food, capsaicin enters your bloodstream and convinces your body that the temperature is higher than it actually is. This triggers all kinds of reactions to cool the body down. Although this can result in an uncomfortable feeling, it also brings us lots of benefits. For example, it helps boost calorie burn by increasing our body’s perceived core temperature, and it also has beneficial impacts on cardiovascular health, and cholesterol levels. And surprisingly enough, capsaicin reduces gastric acid production.
How to step up your game.
So now we know the effects, it’s time to dive into how to increase the enjoyment for people who can’t handle the spice. The ability to deal with spicy food is usually cultivated over time. Just look at the Asians; if you are raised in China, for example, it would only be peculiar if you didn’t eat and like spicy foods. Therefore, to level up your game, it’s key to practice eating it more and more. Start small and then gradually move up the spicy ladder. First, try onion, and once you can handle this, move on to peppers.
The liquids to pair your spicy food with.
While practicing, keep drinking certain liquids. This can considerably ease the burn. Milk, preferably cooled off, provides the best protection. Fats in milk coat the tongue and mouth, providing a soothing effect and allowing a better working environment for protein casein, which is a substance that can wash away capsaicin molecules from the nerve receptors in your mouth. Other milk-based products will help as well. That’s why authentic Sichuan hotpot restaurants will often serve chili hotpot with yogurt or soybean milk, and Indian curry with a yogurt sauce. Not a fan of milky drinks? Alcohol can be used as well since it dissolved the capsaicin.
Try to stay away from water though. While many people would turn to it to wash away the burn, this will only add oil to the fire as it redistributes the capsaicin around your mouth and down your throat. When going for water anyway, try to add a bit of sugar, vegetable, or olive oil as these substances will also dissolve the spice.
Now you’ve got your tips it’s time to try it. But remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Take it slow and start off with small portions while improving your spice resistance one step at a time.
