On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 755

chemicals One group, the thiocyanates, are formed in mustard plants and their relatives, horseradish and wasabi, when the plant cells are damaged Most thiocyanates are small, light, water-repelling molecules — a dozen or two atoms — that readily escape from the food into the air in our mouth, and up our nasal passages In both the mouth and nose they stimulate nerve endings that then send a pain message to the brain The second group of pungent chemicals, the alkyl-amides, are found preformed in a number of unrelated plants, including the chilli, black pepper, ginger, and Sichuan pepper These molecules are larger and heavier — 40 or 50 atoms — and therefore less prone to escape the food and get up our nose; they mostly affect the mouth And their action turns out to be very specific They bind to particular receptors on certain sensory nerves and essentially cause those nerves to become hypersensitive to ordinary sensations — and thus to register the sensation of irritation or pain The mustard thiocyanates appear to act in a similar way in the mouth and nose Why Pain Can Be Pleasurable Why should irritating spices be our favorites? Psychologist Paul Rozin has proposed a couple of different explanations Perhaps spicy foods are the edible equivalent of riding a rollercoaster or jumping into Lake Michigan in January, an example of “constrained risk” that sets off uncomfortable warning signals in the body But since the situations are not truly dangerous, we can ignore the normal meaning of these sensations and savor the vertigo, shock, and pain for their own sakes The sensation of pain may also cause the brain to release natural pain-relieving body chemicals that leave a pleasant glow when the burning fades  ... that sets off uncomfortable warning signals in the body But since the situations are not truly dangerous, we can ignore the normal meaning of these sensations and savor the vertigo, shock, and pain for their own sakes The sensation of pain may also cause the brain to... couple of different explanations Perhaps spicy foods are the edible equivalent of riding a rollercoaster or jumping into Lake Michigan in January, an example of “constrained risk” that sets off uncomfortable warning signals in...sensation of irritation or pain The mustard thiocyanates appear to act in a similar way in the mouth and nose Why Pain Can Be Pleasurable Why should irritating spices be our favorites?