What makes food spicy and how to build a tolerance to it – experts on the science behind the spice and their tips for how to handle the heat

Do you love spicy food? Wish you could eat more of it? The science behind why some of us love the burn spice gives us, and how to build up a tolerance to it

A chef explains how she came to appreciate spice, another says Indian food is misunderstood, and a scientist reveals why not all spicy foods are created equal

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A man eats chillies during an eating competition in Lijiang, Yunnan province in 2016. Experts reveal why some of us love the burn that spice gives us as well as how to build up a tolerance to it. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 7:15pm, 29 Dec 2022

From sriracha sauce to chilli pizza, the characteristic heat of spice is in many foods and various cuisines. Sometimes it is a tangy sweet spice. Other times it is a nuclear sensation that can set your whole mouth on fire.

Foodies have grown more adventurous over the years, going outside their comfort zones to try spicier dishes.

We decided to uncover the science behind the spice, find out how restaurants incorporate that characteristic heat into their dishes and answer a burning question: is it possible to build a tolerance to spicy food?

What makes food spicy?

When we sip something hot in temperature, nerve endings in our mouths activate and send a message to our brains: “This is hot! Don’t burn yourself!”

A similar process happens with spicy food.

Chemicals called capsaicinoids activate the same nerve endings in our mouths when we bite into a pepper. Photo: Shutterstock

When we bite into a spicy pepper, for example, chemicals called capsaicinoids activate the same nerve endings in our mouths, producing a heat sensation even though we are not eating something hot in temperature.