Catching on Fire
Spiciness isn't really considered a taste. I mean think about it really.
If you're eating Hot Cheetos or some salsa, you can taste the initial flavor of the powder or the ingredients of the salsa but that after effect when you're tongue has gone blazing and feels like its on fire...well its just not a taste.
So why is your mouth on fire when you eat "spicy" things?
Well according to researchers, the chemical capsaicin binds itself around the receptor cells of the tongue and cause the burning sensation. So spicy is more of a sensation or feeling rather than a taste, as it seems to make your tongue go numb from taste.
Food experts find it interesting that if you keep eating spicy foods in one sitting, lets say Hot Cheetos for instance, then you become more tolerant to the spiciness.
There are rumors that if you eat too many spicy food for a long period of time, you become somewhat immune to it and you kill the receptors on your tongue. This is totally FALSE.
So eat as much spicy goodness as you want.
No one is immune to spiciness. Research suggests that everyone feels spiciness at the same level. Some people just have a higher pain tolerance and love spicy food too much to give up that easily.
Abuelita use to tell me, "The smaller the chili the bigger the punch mija." Although Grandma Helen might not be completely right, her salsa can make anyone drink a gallon of milk.
Share This Article
