Foodsday Tuesday: Can't Take the Heat?

Phillyist has an unusually high tolerance for spicy food, especially for someone with no real ethnicity. But every once in a while, we get something that's a little too hot for us, and we start to reach for the water. It's only natural. If something is on fire, you put it out, right?

Wrong. Capsaicin, the oil that gives spicy foods their spice, isn't water soluable (because it's an oil, natch), and if the spice is hot enough, the water can actually help convey the capsaicin to other parts of your mouth, making the burning sensation even worse. There are a few things that will make the burning stop, though:

• Dairy products, especially milk: You might feel like a pussy for ordering a glass of milk at a Mexican restaurant, but there's nothing better at making the burn stop, fast. It's like a Tums commercial in your mouth. Alternately, you can make sure your spicy enchiladas are LOADED with cheese and sour cream. Enough of those will help temper the spice.
• Alcohol: Good news for those who wouldn't be caught dead ordering milk in a restaurant: alcohol is a good solvent for oils (ever wondered why greasy foods go so great with beer?) and can help the burn. It ain't milk, but it ain't water, either. (We should mention, though, that a mouthwash that contains alcohol in it will probably do you better than a beer. It's just less fun.)
• Starches: Breads products, along with pastas, rices, and other starchy foods, absorb the capsaicin. There's a reason for basmati rice and naan after all.
• Citric acid: If you're cutting a jalapeño pepper and your fingers start to burn, you should squeeze a lemon over it. Chili burns are base burns, so the acid in the lemon neutralizes them. So it stands to reason that the same general thing can happen in your mouth. Squeeze some lemon or lime over your food before you dig in, or pair your meal with a nice margarita (which has both citrus AND alcohol).

If none of these things help, you probably shouldn't be eating spicy foods anyway. Everyone has a natural tolerance for capsaicin, and while you can build it up to a certain extent, some people are best off avoiding the curry and jalapeños.

The very spicy chili you see above was photographed by Flickr user Marcus Zorbis