Milk and Hot Peppers

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A fast selling item these days is something "hot & spicy." In America, sales of chile peppers and heat-producing spices have increased by 73 percent in the last ten years. The American Spice Trade Association reports that the consumption of chile peppers has doubled.

Americans seem to be wanting their food hotter from red pepper, black and/or white pepper, ginger and mustard seed. The problem that exists from the eating of such foods is that one could light a torch with his breath.

And naturally, it follows, what is the best way to quench the burn from eating such foods? People have tried cold beer, water, soft-drinks only to no avail. The reason is that hot foods have a compound that is not dissolved in those liquids, Capsaicinoids. These compounds produce heat; are found in peppers; and are not water-souble.

Then, what is one to do? Persons known as sensory specialists and experts in chile foods all recommend dairy products. These, it has been found, disolved the hot compounds left in the mouth from eating them and washed them out. Milk (skim preferably) works best. Butter, sour cream, cheeses don't work as well as the milk.

My husband, also a scientist and researcher, noted that oil and cucumbers, however, abate the burn considerably, and that the mouth is left with a refreshing taste.

You can also use starchy products such as rice, or potatoes as well as to absorb the capsaicin. If you go cold turkey each time you eat peppers, you develop a tolerance such that you don't need the milk, bread, rice, or cucumbers and oil.

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