February 22, 2019

How do I cool my mouth if I eat something spicy?

(1) Don’t guzzle water! Although a splash of icy H2O might provide momentary relief, it will only scatter the scorching capsaicin chemical throughout your mouth, spreading […]
February 22, 2019

What are the hottest peppers?

A chemist named Wilbur Scoville developed a scale to answer this very question in 1912. His system measures the heat factor of chili peppers in multiples […]
February 22, 2019

Why do spicy foods melt my mouth?

That bowl of four-alarm chili is waging chemical warfare on your tongue. Chili peppers contain capsaicin (pronounced cap-SAY-ah-sin), a substance that triggers the sensations of pain […]
February 22, 2019

Why do meals look tastier in commercials (than in real life)?

Because they’re not real meals. Each dish, dessert, and drink has been carefully prepared and arranged by a “food stylist,” a special food photographer who uses […]