A very spicy meal is one that contains ingredients or spices that add significant heat and burn to the dish. Spicy foods activate nerve receptors in the tongue, mouth, and throat that sense chemical irritants from peppers and spices. The spiciness or pungency of a meal is often measured in Scoville heat units (SHU), which gauge the concentration of capsaicin, the compound responsible for heat sensation. While personal tolerance varies, a dish over 10,000 SHU is considered very spicy by most standards.
Some examples of very spicy meals include:
- Cuisines that frequently use hot peppers like Indian, Thai, Mexican, Sichuan Chinese
- Dishes featuring peppers like habaneros, ghost peppers, or Carolina reapers which can reach over 1 million SHU
- Spicy regional specialties like Nashville hot chicken, Sichuan mala dishes, or chicken vindaloo
- Chili pepper challenges at restaurants featuring dishes loaded with scorpion or reaper peppers
In addition to pepper heat, other spices like mustard, horseradish, and wasabi can add pungency. But the defining feature of a very spicy meal is an intense burning sensation that overwhelms the palate.
What Makes a Dish Spicy Hot?
The main source of spicy heat in food comes from chemical compounds called capsaicinoids found in chili peppers. Capsaicin is the most abundant capsaicinoid and directly stimulates chemoreceptor nerve endings in the skin and mucous membranes, triggering a burning sensation. The amount of capsaicin in a pepper determines its Scoville rating with higher amounts equating to more heat.
Some peppers naturally very high in capsaicin include:
- Habanero – 100,000 to 350,000 SHU
- Carolina Reaper – 1,400,000 to 2,200,000 SHU
- Ghost pepper – 800,000 to 1,000,000 SHU
When these peppers are used liberally in salsas, curries, or chili, they can make a dish extremely spicy hot. Other spices like mustard and wasabi contain similar irritant compounds allyl isothiocyanate and piperine that activate nerve receptors. Combining multiple burning ingredients like chiles, peppercorns, and ginger can amplify heat sensation. Extremely spicy dishes aim to overwhelm the palate so that capsaicin is the only detectable flavor.
Regional Cuisines Known for Spicy Heat
Certain regional cuisines around the world embrace very spicy flavors using peppers native to their areas:
- Indian – Dishes like vindaloo and jalfrezi use scores of dried red chiles and chilli powders.
- Thai – Prik kee noo uses shredded green bird’s eye chilies while nam prik ong relies on roasted chilies.
- Sichuan – Mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorn and chilies fuel mala dishes.
- Mexican – Varieties like chiles de arbol, jalapeños, and habaneros flavor salsas.
- Ethiopian – The stew doro wat features berbere spice mix with chilies.
- Korean – Gochujang chili paste and gochugaru chili flakes add heat.
The local chili peppers of these regions have conditioned diners to tolerate and enjoy very spicy food. Using small amounts of fresh chilies and pastes allows cooks to control pungency.
What Happens in Your Body When You Eat Spicy Food?
Spicy heat causes more than just a burning mouth sensation. The body reacts to capsaicin in peppers with a series of physiological responses:
- Capsaicin binds to pain receptors on the tongue triggering nerve impulses interpreted as hot and causing the mouth to burn.
- The brain responds by releasing endorphins as a natural pain relief response.
- Increased heart rate, sweating, and body temperature as the body reacts to the “threat.”
- The stomach releases gastric acid anticipating food. Which is why spicy food may cause heartburn or upset stomach.
- A runny nose, teary eyes, and coughing as irritation spreads to the respiratory tract.
The initial tolerance and enjoyment of spicy heat comes from endorphins masking pain signals. But extreme, prolonged heat can overwhelm natural defenses. Capsaicin binds so intensely to pain nerves that they are overloaded, causing a numb yet still painful sensation.
Health Effects of Eating Spicy Food
While spicy food may cause short-term discomfort, research shows potential long-term health benefits:
- Boosts metabolism and fat burning – Capsaicin increases thermogenesis.
- Anti-inflammatory effects – Chili peppers contain antioxidants.
- Reduces blood pressure – Peppers improve blood vessel function.
- Anti-cancer properties – Capsaicin induces cell death in tumors.
But very frequent high doses of capsaicin could potentially cause damage to the esophagus and stomach lining. Moderation is advised for maximum health benefits without side effects. Those with gastrointestinal conditions like GERD or IBS may need to avoid very spicy food.
Tools for Measuring Spicy Heat
Two main scales are used to objectively measure the pungency or spicy heat of peppers and food:
- Scoville Heat Scale – Measures concentration of capsaicin in Scoville Heat Units based on dilution level.
- ASTA Pungency Unit – Measures spiciness via color change of capsaicin reacting with sugar solution.
Scoville Heat Scale
The Scoville Organoleptic Test was developed in the early 1900s by Wilbur Scoville. It measures capsaicin heat intensity according to the following scale:
| Scoville Heat Units | Example Pepper |
|---|---|
| 15,000,000+ SHU | Pepper X, Carolina Reaper |
| 3,500,000 – 5,000,000 SHU | Humboldt Chili |
| 1,500,000 – 2,500,000 SHU | Chocolate Habanero |
| 100,000 – 350,000 SHU | Habanero, Scotch Bonnet |
| 30,000 – 50,000 SHU | Cayenne, Tabasco Pepper |
| 10,000 – 23,000 SHU | Serrano Chili |
| 2,500 – 8,000 SHU | Jalapeño |
| 100 – 900 SHU | Poblano, New Mexican Chili |
| 0 SHU (No Heat) | Bell Pepper, Pimento |
Modern high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) can accurately quantify capsaicinoid content. But the Scoville scale remains a popular heuristic. Culinary experts consider dishes with peppers over 250,000 SHU to be extremely spicy.
ASTA Pungency Units
The American Spice Trade Association developed the ASTA scale in 1912. It uses spectrophotometry to measure how diluted capsaicin turns a sugar solution from clear to red based on the following pungency levels:
| ASTA Pungency Units | Spice Examples |
|---|---|
| 0 PU | Mace, Nutmeg, Cardamom |
| 5 – 30 PU | Ginger, Peppercorn, Wasabi |
| 250 – 500 PU | Oregano, Jalapeño |
| 500 – 1000 PU | Cayenne Pepper |
| 1000 – 3000 PU | Serrano Pepper |
| 30,000 – 70,000 PU | Habanero Pepper |
The ASTA method can rapidly profile pungency. But the arbitrary units depend on the spectrophotometer model used. The Scoville scale remains more relatable to actual perceived spiciness.
Famous Extremely Spicy Dishes and Challenges
Some restaurants have built reputations on serving intensely spicy dishes and daring customers to finish them. They use extracts like resiniferatoxin (16 billion SHU!) for added potency. Attempting these spicy challenges is not recommended for most people:
- Blazin’ Challenge – Buffalo Wild Wings, featuring Blazin’ Sauce with habanero and ghost peppers.
- Inferno Bowl – Nitally’s ThaiMex Cuisine in Nashville, six chili extracts total 2.5 million SHU.
- Curry Challenge – Brick Lane Curry House in NYC, phaal curry recipe includes naga viper chilies.
- Death Nut Challenge – Starts with the 135,000 SHU Carolina Reaper and goes up to 9 million SHU.
- Widowermaker Burger – Customers must sign a waiver to order this aptly named challenge featuring ghost pepper sauce.
Most people find these experiences cause nausea, vomiting, indigestion, and internal “burning” sensations from overloaded pain receptors. Prolonged capsaicin exposure can potentially lead to chemical burns. Extreme spicy challenges are more about bravado than enjoyment of flavors.
Tips for Handling and Enjoying Very Spicy Food
For spicy food aficionados building tolerance, here are some tips for maximizing enjoyment:
- Add small amounts of spicy ingredients during cooking so pungency is even.
- Bread, rice, or yogurt helps temper heat and coat the digestive tract.
- Sugar and acid like vinegar or lime juice balance spice intensity.
- Alcohol causes capsaicin to dissolve faster, worsening burn.
- Milk, butter, avocado, olive oil help dissolve the capsaicin.
- Capsaicin binds to fats, so remove chili seeds and membranes during prep.
- Ventilate kitchen to avoid chili fumes irritating lungs.
- Wash hands carefully after cutting hot peppers.
It takes gradual exposure to build tolerance, starting with milder chili varieties. Experts recommend stopping at the first sign of real discomfort instead of overdoing it.
Conclusion
A very spicy meal incorporates peppers and spices purposefully selected to deliver intense, mouth-burning heat well above the threshold of enjoyable flavor. Capsaicin and other irritant compounds trigger the body’s physical and neurological reaction to chemical irritation. While a masochistic feat for some diners, chefs expertly balance and blend heat with other flavors. Regional cuisines around the world have evolved distinct spicy profiles that define their dishes. Understanding the science behind spicy heat allows aficionados to better appreciate and elevate their tolerance of very spicy food.