5 Beginner Tips To Improve Even The Weakest Spice Tolerance
Spicy foods are one of those enigmas where some people can eat mounds of them, while others just look in the direction of a chili and their eyes start to water. Said to be addictive, the chilis that are usually the cause of the spiciness are actually very beneficial to your health, which is why many people who fall into the latter category wish they had the resilience to enjoy them. Capsicum annuum — the species from which all chili pepper varieties are derived — produces fruits that are low in calories but very high in vitamins and minerals.
They are packed with vitamin A, which supports eye and bone health, vitamin C, which boosts your immune system, vitamin B6, which helps with brain development, heart, and nervous system health, and vitamin K1, which helps with bone health and blood clotting. They also contain potassium, which is an electrolyte, and copper, which is good for cardiovascular health and collagen production. It's the capsaicin in the chilis that gives them their powerful taste, as well as their health benefits.
It's also the capsaicin that makes your nose and eyes run, your mouth feels like it's on fire, and sometimes even makes your tummy cramp with the burn. So, how can you build tolerance to these hot but healthy little berries so that you can enjoy all those lovely health benefits? Well, there are a few tried and tested ways that can set you on the right path, but all of them are underpinned by patience. So, take it one step at a time, and enjoy the tasty journey.
Start slow and build your way up
As with anything new, start your spice journey slow and build up the heat and volume of spice as you go and grow. Going full tilt into eating loads of hot and spicy food can be very unpleasant and will likely have the opposite effect to what you're aiming for. Your taste buds need time and repetition to get used to the powerful sensations of chilis and spicy food. This is because tolerance and eventual enjoyment will come from a physical change in how the pain receptors in your body react to capsaicin.
Over time, they will identify the molecule as less painful and hot, and your tolerance to the spiciness will increase. Start with milder spices like flavorful but simple paprika and black pepper, adding just a little at first, then increasing the amount. Just don't go overboard with the spices and lose the central flavor of the dish. Also, play around with coriander, cumin, turmeric, and the milder Tabasco flavors, like the Green Pepper Sauce (which you can purchase on Amazon).
Use a sprinkle here, and a few drops there, and really spend time with the mouthfuls of flavor to give your taste buds the full experience. You want to start with one spicy dish a week, adding a little more spice each time you make the meal. When you feel more comfortable with your heat, you can go to two dishes a week if you'd like to accelerate the spice experiment. We did say slow!
Eat heat-taming foods with your spice
It's all about creating balance in your holistic meal. If you have a spicy main dish, pair it with non-spicy foods to neutralize the heat. Bread, potatoes, slaw, and veggies that have a high water content are great partners for a hot main dish and bring balance to the heat so your taste buds have the space to take it all in. Starches like your cornbread or mashed potatoes can be quite thick and bland, and can help to break up the intense impact of the hot spices in your mouth, giving you a balance of neutral and spicy.
Starchy foods absorb some of capsaicin's oils, which helps temper the heat. It's a nifty little trick to have on hand. That's why you often see spicy Indian dishes served with naan bread, flatbread, dhal, or rice, or hot Thai dishes served with jasmine rice, steamed dumplings, or zucchini noodles. You can also add absorbent high-fat ingredients to your hot dish to tame some of the heat, such as almond, peanut, or cashew butter, which will bind to the capsaicin and be your beleaguered taste buds' hero.
And don't forget your hummus (full of starchy chickpeas) and tahini (made with healthy fats by way of its oil and sesame seeds) — also great additions to your hot 'n spicy meal. Great veggie sides to serve with your spicy foods include carrots, bell peppers, cucumber, and green salad with lettuce. But don't be limited with your moisture-laden sides — you can include fruit, too. Watermelon, pineapple, cantaloupe, and berries pair well, as do tropical fruits like mangoes and guavas.
Also have cooling aids on the side
Along with your spice-taming foods, there are some great cooling aids to keep on the sidelines while you're adventuring with your spice levels. Dairy products are an age-old go-to to help quell the fiery temperament of spicy foods. Similar in effect to your peanut and starch oils, the hydrophobic fat in dairy products absorbs some of the burning oils of the capsaicin, giving your taste buds a little peace. Dairy products also have a protein called casein, which is an emulsifier — in effect, magnetizing the capsaicin to the dairy fats. A nice, fresh glass of milk is an easy accompaniment (and can help you stay hydrated as you eat). Or, have some plain, unsweetened yogurt available to dollop on your spoonful of spicy meat or veggies.
Cottage cheese, cream, sour cream, butter, and crème fraîche are a few additional great selections that can offer some cooling support. You can also whip up a batch of straightforward guacamole – avocados have a high water content, are naturally high in fat to grab hold of that capsaicin, and are creamy, so they tame the heat in your spicy food. Although not dairy, meaning it doesn't have casein, coconut milk offers a great cooling drizzle to calm down your hot, spicy foods, too. The high fat content of coconut milk draws the heat out of the capsaicin, plus adds a really pleasant alternate flavor to the dish.
Citrus – the strangely effective fire hydrant to spicy foods
It's not only veggies that can help ease the fires of spicy food — citrus fruits have a secret superpower that gets them on our top five list. The high levels of acidity in citrus can help to balance out the heat of the capsaicin in your chilis through the acid molecules interacting chemically with the capsaicin and neutralizing it. This works because citrus fruits have a very low acidic pH, while capsaicin's pH is higher, so essentially, they balance one another out.
Lemons, limes, oranges, clementines, mandarins, tangerines, kumquats, and grapefruit, are all part of the citrus family, though the first three will be the most common allies to your taste buds when you're sitting in front of a plate of hot and spicy food. While not a citrus, acidic tomatoes (yes, we all know they are technically a fruit) can also help quell the burn. Keep a few wedges nearby, or add the juice to your spicy dish either when preparing it or just before serving. Or, switch out your glass of milk with a glass of OJ, and grab a sip every time you feel your mouth starting to catch flames.
Experiment like all good scientists
The best way to up your taste buds' game in the spice field is to experiment. Try different sauces, condiments, toppings, cooking spices, and working with different types of chilis — and add them to your favorite dishes that you're spicing up in your journey to great tolerance (and, hopefully, enjoyment down the line). From hot sauces like Tabasco, spicy-sweet harissa, pepper sauces, spicy Cajun seasoning or sauce, hot salsa, Buffalo hot sauce, Sriracha, unique piri-piri sauce, and sambal, the world is your saucy oyster with options to explore and experiment with. Your general grocery store should have a good selection to choose from. Check out our ranking of the best store-bought hot sauce brands for some easy ideas.
Take your time and read the labels carefully — you don't want to grab a super hot sauce by mistake and end up in tears (literally) with what feels like a hole burning in your stomach. You can also try diluting your hot stuff by adding a tiny bit to milder ingredients — spike your ketchup with a few drops of Tabasco sauce to build tolerance, for example, or mix some mayo into your Sriracha. All good discoveries come from experimenting and trying different things. So, take a page out of scientists' books and try as many different varieties of spicy sauces and ingredients as you can find. You never know — you may well end up with a slight addiction yourself.