![How To Cool Your Mouth After Eating Something Spicy [Infographic]](https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/16/ftcsitvpv6c42lcclrpq.png?quality=75&w=640&h=360&crop=1)
So you misjudged that curry and now your mouth is on fire — what to do? You probably know that milk will stop the burning, but you have other options too. This infographic makes a handy guide.
Milk helps by mixing with the capsaicin (that hot-tasting chemical), so you can swallow it and get it away from the heat receptors on your tongue that are going haywire. Other dairy products have the same effect, which explains why sour cream is a popular taco topping and why you can order a yogurt-based lassi to drink with your favourite curry.
Oils work the same way, which means foods like peanut butter will help. High-proof alcohol can do the same. Carb-heavy foods like rice and bread can mop up the capsaicin, while sugar and honey interfere with your ability to feel the heat (even though the capsaicin is still in your mouth.)
Check out the accompanying article at Greatist for more on how capsaicin causes that burning feeling, and what you can do about it.
![How To Cool Your Mouth After Eating Something Spicy [Infographic]](https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/16/ftcsitvpv6c42lcclrpq.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Mouth on Fire? The Best (and Worst) Ways to Soothe the Burn Fast [Greatist]
This story has been updated since its original publication.
Comments
5 responses to “How To Cool Your Mouth After Eating Something Spicy [Infographic]”
So there was this one time in San Francisco at a hot sauce vendor, I just “had” to try a Trinidad Scorpion hot sauce i had to sign a waiver for.
Long story short, there was an ice cream parlor next door but someone said beer from the bar across the street would be better.
It wasn’t.
You think the trinidad is bad, just try a bit of the carolina reaper 😛 milk, ice cream, yoghurt, they all did NOTHING to stop the burning.
I’ve been working in a regional province of Thailand for 8 months now and I find raw cabbage cucumber and snake beans do a great job for cooling down the palette if the flavours and chilli get a bit too much.
Green olives. Great with mexican food.