If you love eating, then there must be flavours you like the most. From sweet to salty, there is a wide range of flavours that make the taste of the food better. Most people have a tooth for sweet and salty foods. However, there are few of them who love hot, spicy flavours of food.
Read More: What Makes Indian Food So Spicy?
Spicy flavour lovers often find other flavours to be bland or boring. They tend to add extra chillies to every dish that they make. Be it preparing the chutney for momos with extra red chillies or adding a whole lot of chilli flakes as the pizza seasoning, or just simply making the raita spicy by adding red chilli powder to it. They think that spicy food adds an extra kick to the meal. However, not everyone has spice tolerance. The moment they indulge in spicy food, their eyes and nose start watering. Here are some tips on how to increase your spice tolerance level.
- Include Small Amount Of Spicy Ingredients
Including a small amount of spicy ingredients in a meal is a strategic approach to increase your spice tolerance level. Introduce a hint of heat into your dishes like a pinch of chilli powder, a slice of jalapeño or sprinkle a small amount of red chilli flakes. By this, you can expose your palate to spiciness without making it overwhelming. With time, the taste buds will get accustomed to the subtle heat, and you may start craving more intense flavours.
- Experiment With Different Types Of Chillies
Each variety of chillies brings its unique flavour profile and heat intensity, thus providing an opportunity to enhance spice tolerance. Start by introducing milder options like jalapeños or poblanos and gradually move to hotter varieties such as habaneros or Thai bird’s eye chillies. You can train their taste buds to handle spicier foods gradually. Enjoying a diverse range of chillies empowers you to enjoy a wide range of flavourful dishes.
- Balance With Sweetness
Sweetness offers a pleasant contrast to the heat. Sweet ingredients like honey, sugar, or fruits can be added, which not only enhances the complexity of flavours but also helps temper the intensity of the spice. If sweetness is paired with fiery heat, you will tend to enjoy the flavours of the dish without feeling overwhelmed by the spiciness. The balance makes the overall dining experience more enjoyable and allows you to gradually get accustomed to higher levels of heat over time.
- Eat With Friends Who Like Spicy Food
In a social dining setting, there’s often an inclination to try what others are eating and enjoying. This can be implied when eating spicy food. Enjoy your meal with friends who like spicy food so that you can also get exposure to it. Besides, observing friends comfortably consuming spicy foods can serve as a motivation for you to try the heat and expand your flavour preferences.
- Take Breaks
It is important to take breaks to increase your spice tolerance level. Taking a pause between bites allows the taste buds and sensory receptors to recover from the intensity of the heat, preventing overwhelming sensation upon consuming spicy food. Breaks in between may provide a chance for your palate to adapt gradually to the heat, making subsequent bites more tolerable.