For some people, there’s nothing quite like the burning sensation you get when eating mala hotpot. Other people desire the hot, tingling feeling that comes from eating a bowl of spicy Thai curry . What is it that makes food spicy, and why do some people enjoy eating spicy foods so much?
To start with,unlike the five basic tastes—sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami—spicy is not a taste we sense with the taste budson our tongue. Instead, it’s a sensation of pain we feel within our mouth. The compounds that make a food spicy cause a reaction in the mouth that is similar to something very hot in temperature. One compoundin particularis known for causing the hot, burning sensation. When the compound, which iscalled capsaicin, comes into contact withthe mucous membranein our mouth, it produces a burning feeling that raises our heart rate and causes us to sweat.
