Science News Archive

Chilli Blunts your Taste Buds

Eating chilli prevents you from tasting other flavours properly, according to scientists at the University of California. The researchers found that volunteers reported that sweet and bitter flavours were less intense after capsaicin, the chemical from Chilli peppers, was placed on their tongues. Interestingly, saltiness and sourness were not affected.

You may also be interested to hear that chickens are insensitive to capsaicin, the substance that makes chilli taste hot, and so are not burned by a spicy curry.  Not that we recommend feeding your chickens curry, of course!

15th Jun 2002