Skip to main content
Skip to main content

Hot on HuffPost Food:

See More Stories
Tell us what you think for a chance at $1000!


How to cool the burn of chiles

habanero and jalapeno peppersThe chemical capsaicin, the component that makes pepper and chiles hot, is a tricky one. Drinking water, as Lynne Rossetto Kasper of The Splendid Table reminds us, does not relieve the burn. Capsaicin bonds with fat, so cream, whole milk, yogurt, and other creamy things are the best antidote. In most cuisine from hot, hot, spicy places, like India and Indonesia, citrusy yogurt and other creamy concoctions are used to counteract ultra-hot foods. If you're cutting chiles, Kasper explains, you can prevent irritation: "Scrub with lemon or vinegar; coat your skin with oil before you start working with the chiles," or "slip plastic bags over your hands" before you start chopping.
 

Source

Filed Under: Science, Hacking Food
Tags: hacking food

Sponsored Links

Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

Finished.Law.School

8-19-2005 @12:38PM Finished.Law.School said... Yogurt definitely works.
Reply

Elias

9-01-2005 @3:40AM Elias said... Guacamole is also a delightful cure to the deleterious burning of capsaicin.
I never thought of oily fingers as a means to prevent future spicy irritation, but it's a great idea.
Reply

Dulce

9-23-2005 @9:51PM Dulce said... I once made the mistake of putting an entire toothpick sized sample* of a condiment labelled 'Hot' in Eastern Washington - home of many emigre Mejicanos - in my mouth. Several minutes later, still in intense pain, I forced my companion to take me to the nearest Starbucks. I begged for a small cup of straight cream ... for the desperately in pain, drastic measures are necessary!
* And I LOVE hot food!
Reply

3 Comments / 1 Pages

Most Popular Stories

  • FDA Still Struggling to Define

    FDA Still Struggling to Define "Gluten-Free"Read More

  • This Omelet Recipe Is Written On the Egg Itself

    This Omelet Recipe Is Written On the Egg ItselfRead More

  • Why Jewish Food Disappoints

    Why Jewish Food DisappointsRead More

Latest Flickr Feed


Sponsored Links