WHY SOME LIKE IT HOT & OTHERS DO NOT

Some people wear their ability to tolerate spicy foods like a badge of honor, but does it really make you a superior being?

We like to think so, obviously, because we love our spicy, certified organic peppers, but the truth is complicated. Your tolerance for spicy foods has its roots in your body chemistry and your behaviors.

Capsaicin (cap-SAY-zin) is the chemical that makes spicy food feel hot. It triggers a receptor in your mouth called TRPV1.

According to the McGill University Office for Science & Society, “There is some variation in the sensitivity of these receptors, and even the amount of them, from person to person. This variance may be one reason some of us can’t handle the spice, and others love it.”

There is some evidence that shows people can develop a higher tolerance for the spicy from eating more of it (an approach we wholeheartedly recommend). And there are cultural aspects to it, too. People who grow up in cultures with foods that regularly feature delicious hot peppers like ours are more accustomed to spicy foods and generally tolerate them better.

If anyone is ready to study whether eating more hot peppers makes you faster, smarter, better in every way, we’ll happily supply as many certified organic peppers as it takes. Come see us at the Portland Farmer’s Market to get yours!