It’s no secret that some people crave hot peppers, and some people, well, don’t.
For those of us who just can’t get enough of spicy, hot flavor, we may wonder why on earth anyone would give up the chance to sample the spicy hot flavors of hot chilis and hot chili-flavored products.
If you fall into this category too, it may have more to do with science than taste. Hear us out. It seems that the new wave of online hot pepper eating challenges is playing into our thrill-seeking behaviors. In simple terms, eating spicy hot peppers is a challenge, and some of us find that exciting. Of course, it's fun to participate and it’s fun to watch, which may help explain why hot pepper challenges seem to be all over social media.
If you enjoy the thrill of things that some other people find dangerous, the challenge of it all may be what’s drawing you in. Similar to watching a horror movie, eating spicy food can stimulate your fight-or-flight response, and send your brain pleasure-inducing hormones. So, why are some people more prone to seeking out this type of thrill than others? The idea needs to be studied further, but one study about a decade ago found that your genes may determine whether you like spicy food or you don’t.
Of course, most of the challenges you see all over social media test out some of the hottest peppers around. These peppers aren’t just hot, they top the hot pepper scale. Pepper X is so hot that its creator reportedly ate it raw, then spent the next six hours trying to recover. A pepper this hot could actually send someone to the hospital, so it’s nothing to take lightly. Still, there are all kinds of hot peppers out there to sample, and sure to give their own fiery thrill.
