Why do we enjoy the 'pain' of spicy food?



You know the feeling – your ears start to warm up, your tongue goes numb, you start sweating and taking deep breaths. You've just eaten something spicy knowing it would be painful, and, yet, you chose to do it anyway. Are humans just masochistic, or is there something else going on? The answer lies in both science and history.



Let's start with the science. Spicy isn't actually a taste like salty, sweet, sour and bitter – it's a sensation. This sensation is triggered by a chemical compound found in chilli peppers called 'capsaicin'. When we eat foods containing capsaicin, our bodies are tricked into thinking the temperature is actually rising. In trying to temper the burning sensation, our bodies release endorphins which control pain and, at the same time, give a feeling of pleasure – like painkillers.



This is what is happening chemically, but there is also a conscious side to choosing spicy food. Dr Tamara Rosenbaum, Cognitive Neuroscientist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, explains in an interview with the BBC that this is because we are rational beings – we know that the burning sensation of chilli does not physically harm us. Furthermore, we derive pleasure from the other ingredients chilli is generally cooked and eaten with – including fat, sugar and salt.



So – like skydiving – eating chilli is a form of thrill-seeking or 'benign masochism', where we get pleasure from a seemingly negative sensation.



This masochistic relationship with capsaicin has been a long one, starting in the Andes of South America, where chilli peppers originate. Humans were one of the few mammals on Earth that developed a taste for capsaicin so, archaeological evidence suggests, they started cultivating chilli peppers about six thousand years ago. Human intervention changed the chilli pepper to suit human tastes and needs – including the pepper's colour, size and capsaicin content – helping to explain the many different types of chilli peppers now available.



Fast-forward to today, and our love affair with the chilli pepper is going strong. We eat around 57.3 million tons of peppers globally each year, and chilli is a key ingredient in traditional dishes from Mexico to Korea. Maybe we are masochistic after all.



词汇表

go numb [nʌm] 发麻，失去知觉

masochistic [ˌmæsəˈkɪstɪk] 受虐狂的，自虐的，自讨苦吃的

sour [ˈsaʊə(r)] 酸的，酸味的

bitter [ˈbɪtə(r)] 苦的，苦味的

sensation [senˈseɪʃn] 感觉，知觉；轰动

trigger [ˈtrɪɡə(r)] 引发，触发

chemical compound [ˈkemɪkl ˈkɒmpaʊnd] 化合物

chilli pepper [ˈtʃɪli ˈpepə(r)] 辣椒

capsaicin [kæpˈseɪɪn] 辣椒素

trick into [trɪk ˈɪntə] 诱使，哄骗，使产生错觉

temper [ˈtempə(r)] 使缓和，使温和；使（金属）回火

endorphin [enˈdɔːfɪn] 内啡肽（有镇痛作用的内分泌激素）

painkiller [ˈpeɪnkɪlə(r)] 止痛药

rational being [ˈræʃnəl] 理性的动物 ，理性的存在

derive [dɪˈraɪv] 获得，得到；源自

skydiving [ˈskaɪdaɪvɪŋ] 跳伞运动

thrill-seeking [θrɪl ˈsiːkɪŋ] 寻求刺激

benign masochism [bɪˈnaɪn ˈmæsəˌkɪzəm] 良性受虐（指从看似负面的体验中获得愉悦感）

Andes [ˈændiːz] 安第斯山脉（位于南美洲西岸）

originate [əˈrɪdʒɪneɪt] 起源，发源；开创，发明

develop a taste for 养成吃…的习惯，培养对……的喜好

archaeological [ˌɑːkiəˈlɒdʒɪkəl] 考古学的，考古的

fast-forward [ˈfɑːst fɔːwəd] 快进（常用于音视频播放等）

love affair 强烈爱好；风流韵事

go strong 依旧强烈；非常活跃、健康或成功



📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】