Did you know the idea of a food being too spicy might be all in your head? According to spicy foods expert Chef Bill Phillips, spicy food doesn’t physically burn or harm the digestive tract, contrary to some beliefs.
From hot wings to hot peppers, taste buds react to capsaicin, a chemical molecule that stimulates pain receptors in the tongue that detect temperature. This causes the burning sensation that is felt, but doesn’t harm you.
The love for spicy foods is an acquired taste; people aren’t born with it. The more spicy food eaten, the more you can handle it.
— Katie Connor, The Atlanta 100