Why do peppers get hotter near the seeds?
The Pepper's Secret
Why do peppers get hotter near the seeds?
You've probably noticed it — bite into a pepper near the middle, and suddenly your mouth is on fire. Everyone says the seeds are the hottest part. But here's the twist: the seeds themselves aren't hot at all. The real troublemaker is hiding right next to them.
Meet capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers spicy. It's an oily compound that pepper plants invented millions of years ago as a defense weapon — a way to stop certain animals from eating their fruits. Capsaicin doesn't grow everywhere in the pepper. The pepper concentrates it in one specific spot.
