Capsaicinology

Capsaicin.  C17H28NO3.  It is the chemical found in peppers that makes it so "hot".  It is named after the name for the pepper genus, capsicum.

It is non-polar, which means, of course, that it is soluble in other non-polar substances, such as alcohol and carbon dioxide, but not water.

Let us now add two new words to our vocabulary.  Instead of saying "hot", we will now say "capsaicinous" to mean that a pepper contains a high amount of capsaicin.  "Spicy" will solely refer to the pleasant spice flavor, not the burning sensation.

Casein is C47H48N3O7S2Na.  This is a relevant chemical because it helps to remove the burning sensation of capsaicin.  This compound is found in milks and is the chemical in cheeses that coagulates to form its solid structure.  Cow milk contains about 80% casein, so that is why people say that milk is good for getting rid of the burning sensation of peppers.

Capsaicin tastes good with carbohydrates because they are similar in terms of chemical formulas.

A good guideline for checking if something is compatible with capsaicin is:

1. Does it have carbohydrates?

2. Does it have protein?

3. Does it have a relatively high air level? (because most gasses are non-polar)

4. Does it have a low water content? (because water is polar and tastes bad with capsaicin)

YEAH!!!  Breaded chicken nuggets are perfect!

Capsaicin is found in the highest concentrations in the membrane surrounding the pepper's fruit, the pith surrounding the seeds, And the membranes surrounding the seeds.

YEAH!!!