On Food and Cooking

Stimulation and Sensitizing We may also
enjoy spicy food because irritation adds a new
dimension to the experience of eating. Recent
research has found that, at least in the case of
the pepper and chilli irritants, there’s a lot
more to pungency than a simple burn. These
compounds induce a temporary inflammation
in the mouth, transforming it into an organ
that is more “tender,” more sensitive to other
sensations. Those heightened sensations
include touch, temperature, and the irritating
aspects of various other ingredients, including
salt, acids, carbonation (which becomes
carbonic acid), and alcohol. It’s the pepper
that makes Chinese hot and sour soup, which
is hot and acidic and salty, into such an
intense experience. A few mouthfuls and we
become conscious of simply breathing: our
mouth becomes so sensitive that exhaling
body-temperature air feels like a textured hot
bath, inhaling room-temperature air like a
refreshingly cool breeze.