Is everyone in your family addicted to spicy foods except you? Do you wish to develop spice tolerance? If yes, you have reached the right place. We understand that not everyone believes in the wonders of spicy food and can relish the painful joy of eating something spicy. It is uncomfortable for many and can make you experience sweating, bloating, and more. But, if you are not a big fan of spicy foods, you may miss out on some superbly delicious Indian dishes. Here we tell you how to enjoy the sensation of your ears bleeding owing to spicy foods and how to begin liking their painful flavour. You can actually do that by constantly exposing your pain receptors to capsaicin. Here is how to begin with that.
Start Having a Bit of it Every Day
Capsaicin is the compound that generates heat sensation in your mouth. You can develop tolerance to it by consuming more foods containing capsaicin. You feel spiciness due to a chemical reaction that capsaicin causes. It exposes certain taste receptors to sodium and calcium ions. This creates a chemical reaction that transmits a hot signal to your brain. That's when you feel the painful spiciness.
Constantly exposing your tongue to capsaicin can lead to the closing of the receptor door. This prevents pain signals from being transmitted to your brain and you finally stop feeling the discomfort you used to feel after eating spicy foods.
Go Slowly
Do not overwhelm your mouth and taste buds with spicy meals. Enjoy them by eating slowly. You need to eat only up to the level you can process at once. Consuming too much can create a sensation of more heat and burning. So, have hot and spicy foods slowly. Let your mouth cool down a bit after every bite. Doing this will eventually help you develop a resistance to the heat produced by spicy food items.
Keep Spice on The Side
Doing this will help you add spicy pepper and seasonings to your food as per your spice tolerance. It will also help you learn about how much spice works for you. This information can further help in making decisions about the level of spice you should go for the next time.
Coolant Should be Handy
Most of us opt for a glass of cold water to get rid of the fire that we created in our mouths by eating spicy foods. But, that doesn't work as capsaicin doesn't bond with water to get neutralized or wash away. You will feel relieved after having water till it remains in your mouth. Once you swallow it, the heat will start bothering you again. So, it is advised to keep a coolant instead of water when having spicy foods. You can go for some dairy products like lassi, milk, etc.
Try out these ways and break out of your spiciness comfort zone. If you feel that despite making efforts, you do not like the spicy flavour and develop some health issues like acid reflux, upset stomach etc., respect your limits and admit that spiciness doesn't work for you. Happy Trying!