Flea, of course!
Posted on 08/29/2021 8:55:48 AM PDT by DUMBGRUNT
One theory says the sensation distracts from other pains; another says we’re just showing off.
Humans like to eat a lot of strange things—decomposed shark, Namibian warthog rectum, British food—yet among the strangest is our taste for chili peppers: a fruit that, ecologically speaking, specifically evolved to repel us.
But whereas other berries have thorns to protect against seed-destroying predators, chilies have a defense mechanism in the form of the chemical compound capsaicin, the principal function of which is to cause pain for predators. The scientific term for this is “directed deterrence.”
a habanero pepper or order your food “Thai hot,” and your body essentially thinks it’s being attacked by a chemical weapon.
Some farmers in Africa, to keep elephants away from their crops, plant chilies along the borders of their fields, or mix chili powder with motor oil and smear it on fences, or burn bricks of chilies and dried elephant dung.
...Chili-flavored birdseed is also a thing, used to prevent squirrels from pilfering bird food
. Indeed, research shows a correlation, particularly among teenage males, between a preference for spicy foods and testosterone levels, as well as personality traits associated with the pursuit of money, sex and social status.
Such hypermasculine display and self-inflicted harm are hallmarks of adolescent coming-of-age rituals going way back. In Aztec times, young men were held over fires to mark their transition from youth to adulthood, symbolizing their transformation from “raw” youth to “cooked” adulthood.
But for the military too, spicy foods have become a staple of combat rations, especially for long deployments. Beginning in Iraq in 1990, the U.S. military started issuing miniature glass bottles of Tabasco sauce with meals
Then again, maybe the explanation is simpler. Perhaps we just can’t resist the temptation of forbidden fruit—or, in this case, forbidden berries.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Had friends visiting, they liked the garden; I said to eat anything you like but beware of the crazy hot peppers...
They nibbled on some Scotch bonnets and lived to tell?
FULLTXT:
https://archive.vn/rzL3j
Some morons love Creepy Joe. Simple answer: Masochism.
Same here - I have a lot of pepperhead friends and I think they’re all nuts. I always order my Namibian warthog rectum “one star”, thankyouverymuch.
I like hot sauce but I am not macho about it. A little goes a long way. I make a Cajun martini: substitute tabasco sauce for vermouth and pickled okra for the olives and you’re good to go.
My sources tell me that Gen Milley likes hot sauce on his rectums.
Ok, who ordered the warthog hiney?
I love hot. Grew up with a grandmother, mother, and aunts that all loved hot. But there is a point where hot is not spicey and tastey anymore.....just hot. I don’t like that.
when you have no refrigeration and live in ...
Does Spicy Food Kill Bacteria? Yes, At Least 7 Spices Do
https://wholesomealive.com/does-spicy-food-kill-bacteria
I was surprised to learn that in evolution the people survived who loved spices because they killed off food poisons, while many who shunned spices died off without being in today’s gene pool.
Southern European foods including spicy Jewish foods killed off bacteria when preserved and stored before electric refrigeration was invented. Sausages and other deli meats are examples.
And many Mexican and Central and Latin American dishes are like that.
—”Ok, who ordered the warthog hiney?”
Bill up in reply #4.
“C’mon baby make it hurt so good - sometimes lovveee don feel like it should, make it... hurt so gooodd...”
There’s a steakhouse in Indiana called St. Elmos that has a famous shrimp cocktail sauce made with horseradish. While it can sting a LOT (and clear the sinuses) it doesn’t burn and tastes great.
Nothing like finishing one up with tears running down my face and saying “oooh, that’s the good stuff.” :P
Hot peppers contain capsaicin which is mildly addictive.
And Dumbgrunt. thanks for lighting up my morning. Reading all these posts about Afghanistan, COVID, the economy etc. is a bummer. So here’s one for you. SALUTE!
Spicy foods and bacteria controversy? Who would think of that? Me and you (#9 and #10).
It is said, the same reason for French sauces...
The simplest explanation is to point to food preservation, as chilies also happen to kill bacteria and mask the taste and odor of foods that aren’t the freshest. This would explain why spicy foods tend to be more prevalent in hotter climates, where higher temperatures make food preservation more challenging.
I quit doing that years ago. Used to go to a place that had over 60 flavors of wings. The regular hot were delicious. Then they had some they would only sell 6 at a time because they didn’t like to waste food. They were so hot you would just sweat being around them. Ate them once and it was miserable. Just not fun to me. It’s not a flavor. It’s a challenge.
Here in Florida they have some called grove peppers. Little things but just nasty hot.
What’s this “us” crap?
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