A Wonderleaf question
Why does spicy food feel hot?
a real page from the book
Spicy food feels hot because capsaicin, a chemical in peppers, switches on nerves that usually warn your brain about heat. Your mouth has not truly warmed up, but the message says danger, so your body may sweat, flush, and ask for relief.
Milk helps more than water because capsaicin behaves like an oily substance and clings poorly to plain water. Fat in milk can carry some of it away, while bread or rice can help by picking up the peppery coating from your tongue.
Wonder words
- capsaicin
- receptors
- nerves
- pepper
Try it out
At dinner, compare a sip of water and a sip of milk after a tiny taste of mild salsa.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
Open the picture bookKeep wondering
- Who invented pizza?
- How is chocolate made?
- How did people keep food fresh before refrigerators?
- Why do fruits taste sweeter when they are ripe?
- Why do we cook food?
- How does food turn into energy?
And the next question?
Ask anything — Wonderleaf writes and illustrates a picture book for it. That's the whole idea.
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