If you love spicy food, you are probably not interested in how to make it less spicy. While you are shaking your head while reading this article, the others are attentive, and they will find the following tips and tricks useful. Even heat lovers sometimes add more spice to a recipe than intended, but they don’t want to admit it.
Why is food spicy?
Before we get into different ways of how to fix spicy food, we need to know why the food is spicy in the first place. There are some exceptions, but a compound called capsaicin, which is found in peppers is the reason why you cannot eat some food. There are several factors why something is too spicy for you: the amount of capsaicin in the peppers and the sensitivity of your mouth’s receptors to this compound. If you have eaten hot peppers your entire childhood, you can probably eat spicy food effortlessly, while your friend is struggling with his portion.
Another thing you should know that the heat of the pepper can be measured and the Scoville Scale is used. The higher Scoville Heat Units (SHU), the hotter the pepper is. Carolina Reaper is the hottest pepper in the world, measuring 2,200,000 SHUs, whereas some famous ones such as jalapenos and habaneros are rated at 2,500 and 100,000 SHUs respectively.
There are five different ways to reduce the amount of heat in a dish after it has been prepared. So, you have tried your dish, and it is too hot, here is what you will do:
5. Add Additional Ingredients
It is a simple way to reduce the heat of your meal. Adding additional ingredients will balance the flavor, and you will be able to eat the meal. For instance, if your soup or stew is too spicy, adding more liquid will solve your problem.
4. Add Dairy
If you eat something that is too hot, DON’T drink water immediately after it. This will only spread the heat around your mouth, and you will feel as inconvenient as before. Reach for a glass of milk, which is a much better remedy to reduce the inflammation. It only shows us that adding dairy to a hot dish will have a positive effect.
According to Food guru Kenji Lopez-Alt, the casein protein which is contained in milk will wash away the spicy capsaicin molecules. If you cannot add dairy directly to the meal, drink a glass of milk while you are eating.
3. Add Sugar
Let’s say you are eating noodles and they are too hot for you. Adding some honey and soy sauce will reduce the heat. According to Allrecipes and Serious Eats, sugar balances the spiciness of your meal, but you do not necessarily have to add sugar or honey to your food. What is great about this way of “spice reduction” is that you can add sweeter ingredients. For instance, tomatoes are naturally sweet, and you can mix them with your meal without changing the taste of food, generally speaking.
2. Add Acid
You can combine the two things from this list, and besides adding sugar, you can also put some acid. A few squeezes of lime or lemon will reduce the heat significantly, and you will be able to enjoy your meal. Another ingredient which can help is vinegar.
1. Add Peanut Butter
Adding peanut butter is not limited to dishes with peanut butter only. You can use it with a wide range of meals, but be careful about the allergies. If you are adding peanut butter to any dish, alert everyone because someone might be allergic to it and the consequences severe.
Try one of these ways to reduce the amount of heat of your food and let us know whether you have succeeded.
