Imagine this scenario – you have decided to be brave, and order the “Suicide Wings” during happy hour at your favorite watering hole. You love spicy food, and you figure you can handle it. Suddenly, your mouth is on fire! “No problem,” you say to yourself, “I know how to neutralize spicy food – you throw water on a fire, right?” So you grab the glass of ice water next to your plate and heave a sigh of relief – at least until the burning sensation comes back with a vengeance.
It’s the Capsaicin
Really hot foods are made using peppers that contain capsaicin. These are not your nice, mild bell peppers – they’re those small but powerful chili peppers that can vary in intensity, and the hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin it contains. Water will not neutralize spicy food – the heat is just going to come back. So, what can you do?
Drink Milk
Of course milk is good for you, and it also has the benefit of being an effective way to neutralize spicy food – so if you’re going for the “Suicide Wings,” order a glass of milk as well.
For that matter, any dairy product will work. This is because dairy products contain casein, which breaks the hold that capsaicin has on your nerve receptors. This is one reason why fiery Indian curries are often served with an accompanying dish of yogurt. As an added benefit, if you find spices a bit hard on your stomach, dairy products will ease that as well.
Have a Scotch on the Rocks
This might sound counter-intuitive – after all, what usually happens when you throw alcohol on a fire? The fact is, though, a high-proof liquor can neutralize spicy food. Don’t bother with beer – it’s like water in that it will give you some relief to begin with, but then the heat will come back. What you want is a good, strong drink over ice.
Sweeten it Up
Sugar can also neutralize spicy food. Exactly how much you will require depends on the intensity of the food – you will need more sugar, for instance, to ease the heat of a ghost chili than you will a jalapeño. You can deliver a double wallop to the heat by combining sugar and dairy – perhaps enjoy some ice cream or a bowl of rice pudding.
You Put the Lime in the Coconut
That was a great song, wasn’t it? It’s also good advice. Coconut milk works just as well as dairy products, and lime juice can also help to neutralize spicy food. So can lemon and tomato juice, and virtually any other high-acid juice. In fact, these ingredients are often used to balance heat in spicy dishes.
Conclusion
If you try the “Suicide Wings” and then decide that you’d rather live, don’t despair. Just reach for some milk, a good stiff drink or something that is high in acid to neutralize the spicy food. You can enjoy foods that are hotter than hot, and live to tell the tale.