SAEDNEWS: If you have used too much chili while cooking, you can reduce the spiciness of the food by adding other ingredients such as potatoes and tomatoes.
According to SAEDNEWS, One of the secrets of Iranian homemakers for making delicious food is adding the right amount of seasonings and spices to different dishes. However, sometimes many people, due to distraction, lack of cooking experience, and other reasons, end up using too much chili and hot spices in their food.
Capsaicin is the substance found in chili peppers that creates their heat and flavor. It can also cause a strong burning sensation that may last for several minutes or even hours.
Read this section to learn how to reduce the spiciness of food and what to do with the burning sensation in your mouth after eating spicy food.
Why Do Chili Peppers Burn?
The sensation of spiciness and burning comes from a substance called capsaicin, which is an active compound in chili peppers. It interacts with the heat-sensitive receptors in the mouth and skin.
Even though there is no real heat involved, the body reacts to capsaicin as if it is exposed to high temperature.
To reduce the burning sensation, you need to remove capsaicin from its binding sites or dilute it enough to lessen its effect.
Peanut butter is rich in monounsaturated fats and nutrients. These fats help reduce the spiciness of food by preventing capsaicin from binding to nerve receptors on the tongue.
Peanut butter can be consumed with various foods such as fruits, celery, jelly, and more.
To reduce the spiciness during cooking, you can add sweeteners such as sugar, honey, or glucose. These ingredients help balance and reduce the hot taste of the dish. However, this method should be used carefully, as in some dishes it may slightly change the original flavor and aroma.
To reduce excessive spiciness while cooking, you can use sour seasonings such as fresh lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, grape vinegar, or verjuice. Add them to the dish and mix well so they blend evenly. These acidic ingredients help neutralize the strong heat, but because they alter the overall taste, they are not suitable for all types of dishes.
To reduce spiciness in food, you can add fresh tomatoes or tomato juice. The natural acidity of tomatoes helps neutralize and lessen the hot taste of the dish.
To reduce the spiciness of a dish, you can use ingredients such as vegetables, potatoes, bell peppers, meat, legumes, broccoli, and similar foods. These ingredients help dilute the heat and balance the overall flavor of the meal.
Adding full-fat dairy products to spicy foods—such as adding milk to a hot sauce—can help reduce spiciness, as capsaicin from chili dissolves in fats, lowering the burning sensation.
Adding salt to the dish or consuming it with salty snacks and preserved salty foods may also help reduce the perception of heat. However, individuals with high blood pressure should avoid this method.
If fresh chili peppers are the main cause of the heat, removing the chili pieces from the dish before it is fully cooked is essential to prevent the spiciness from intensifying further.
When you eat spicy food or hot chili peppers, your mouth may feel a burning sensation, so it is important to know how to relieve this discomfort.
How to stop the burning from spicy chili:
Eat dairy products, as foods like sour cream, milk, cheese, and ice cream help dissolve capsaicin and reduce the burning feeling in the mouth.
Consume fatty foods, or even swish a small amount of oil in your mouth and spit it out to ease the irritation.
Take a spoon of peanut butter or honey, which can help coat and reduce the effect of capsaicin.
Eat acidic foods such as lemon or tomatoes to counteract the effects of capsaicin.
Starchy foods can also help absorb excess capsaicin, so eating foods like bread, rice, or potatoes may reduce the burning sensation.
If you have touched hot chili peppers, here are some ways to remove the burning sensation from your hands:
Wash your hands with dishwashing liquid soap.
Rub vegetable oil or butter on your hands to help break down and remove capsaicin.
Wash your hands with a diluted bleach solution.
If your mouth feels irritated after eating spicy food or chili, do not drink ice water, as water can spread capsaicin and make the burning worse. Alcoholic drinks, coffee, and soft drinks also do not relieve the burning and may even intensify the effect of capsaicin.
