the calories that we do eat Of course there’s also capsaicin’s irritating effects, which can be pleasurable in the mouth but not necessarily elsewhere (This is why “pepper spray” is an effective weapon; it makes breathing and seeing difficult for about an hour.) Capsaicin is potent and oily and hard to wash off surfaces, so small amounts left on fingers can end up hours later being rubbed into an eye Knives, cutting boards, and hands should be thoroughly washed with hot soapy water to avoid this and similar unhappy surprises On the other hand, capsaicin irritation has found a number of medical applications; for example, when applied to the skin it helps reduce muscle pain by increasing local blood flow The chilli fruit The pungent chemical capsaicin is secreted by cells on the surface of the placenta, the pithy tissue that bears the seeds Controlling Capsaicin Pungency The pungency of any dish that contains chillis is influenced by four main factors: the variety of chilli used, the amount of chilli added, the presence or absence of the capsaicin-rich tissues, and the length of time that the chilli is in contact with the other ingredients The cook can reduce the pungency of chillis substantially by cutting them in half and carefully dissecting and removing the spongy placental tissue and the seeds What about quenching the burn once the mouth is already on fire? The two surest remedies — though they’re only temporary — are to get something ice-cold into the mouth, or something solid and rough, rice or crackers or a spoonful of sugar Cold liquid or ice cools ... tissues, and the length of time that the chilli is in contact with the other ingredients The cook can reduce the pungency of chillis substantially by cutting them in half and carefully dissecting and removing the spongy placental tissue and the seeds... that contains chillis is influenced by four main factors: the variety of chilli used, the amount of chilli added, the presence or absence of the capsaicin-rich tissues, and the length of time that the chilli is.. .The chilli fruit The pungent chemical capsaicin is secreted by cells on the surface of the placenta, the pithy tissue that bears the seeds Controlling Capsaicin Pungency The pungency of any