Pungency

The flavor of field is from a medical point of view, the property of materials, especially food, trigger some sense of taste. Substances that produce a sense of focus, acting on the heat receptors, which is chemically triggered a heat or pain stimulus. Since this sensation is not due to an actual increase in temperature, also drunk cold spicy food can be perceived as " hot". The sharpness of food is only additionally influenced directly by its own temperature. Spicy foods taste the sharper, the hotter they are served.

According to the taste of field there are substances that act in a similar way to cold receptors. For example, the refreshing effect of mint oil are explained, which occurs in hot mint tea on cold dishes such as peppermint ice but felt clearly.

To be distinguished, the taste is sweet sharpness of the flavors, sour, bitter, salty and umami, which are perceived by the taste buds (see tongue). Occasionally, high-proof drinks are referred to as taste sharp ( see also Alcohol ).

Pharmacological action

Upon contact with the skin irritating substances sharp certain receptors by imitating receptor messenger elements in their effect and thus trigger their activation. Firstly, the heat receptors, which trigger a reflex increase in blood circulation and thus a heating of the tissue. On the other irritating especially capsaicin very specifically the C-type pain receptors in the skin. The stimulation of both the heat and the pain receptors leads to an increased release of substance P, a neurotransmitter that directs the charm of the afferent neurons to the spinal cord and brain.

Typical pungent compounds are amides such as capsaicin.

Reasons for eating spicy food

At first it seems absurd, food to spice up sharply if this pain sensations are triggered. The actual defense mechanism against predators, the some plants have formed is but exploited to increase the taste sensation. Indeed, the sharp portions of the spices act as a flavor enhancer: The irritated receptors in the mucous membranes are better supplied with blood, hence the adjacent taste buds, which in turn are more sensitive sweet for the actual flavors, sour, bitter, salty and umami.

Since high levels of sharpness also open the pores of the skin all over the body and thus promote sweating, the body temperature can be lowered by eating spicy food. This may be one reason why is eaten like sharp especially in countries with warm climates. Another reason to spice up food spicy, the pain response associated with the happiness hormones ( endorphins ). Hot spices, especially chili, thus regarded as a kind of drug and have a stimulating effect.

In addition, the ingredients of many fruits sharp inhibit the growth of bacteria. It can be assumed that sharp seasoning - even without this knowledge - has therefore spread in precisely those countries where the growth of bacteria (including pathogens ) is particularly favored by the climate.

History

Plants with parts that are perceived by the eater as sharp, have apparently had an evolutionary advantage in reproduction. The sharpness is in fact perceived by mammals, but not birds, at least in the case of capsaicin, which is contained in chili peppers. The allicin contained in garlic also serves as protection from predators: Among other things, starlings and various worms avoid garlic. From the perspective of the plant, it is better when it is eaten by mammals, but birds. Birds do not chew the seeds of the fruit and they can not digest, so they can be excreted, so that the seeds have a chance to become the plant. The manure is then used as fertilizer for the plant. In addition, birds lay much greater distances than mammals and can spread the seeds further characterized.

People have experienced as sharp parts of plants used both as a condiment and as a remedy. For example, in the recipes Apicius ', a Roman gourmet from the 1st century AD, pepper occurs. In Central and South America in the 3,000 to 6,000 years ago, the ancient form of sharp peppers were domesticated and used. Before the first pepper plants came through the journeys of Christopher Columbus to Europe and later to Asia, especially ginger was used as sharpening spice in Asian cuisine. However, since the imported pepper from India was very expensive in Europe, the fruit often referred to as capsicum chili were also here treated as a substitute for pepper

Hot spices and plants

Pepper

The black pepper, or just pepper ( Piper nigrum) is a plant from the family of the pepper family ( Piperaceae ), deliver the fruits of a sharp- tasting by the alkaloid piperine contained therein spice. Piperine affects less than that contained in the hot pepper capsaicin, the total proportion of all piperinartigen compounds in pepper grains is about 5% - the sharpness sensation caused thereby is approximately in the middle region of the focusing scale of the hot peppers.

The pink pepper often used with normal pepper in pepper mixtures has no focus -causing ingredients. Because it is relatively close in taste pepper, food can be unconsciously perceived as sharper.

Szechuan pepper is also not related to the black pepper. For it is characteristic of the sharp - tingling taste, which causes a feeling of numbness in the lips and tongue. In Chinese, this taste sensation is called má (麻) and from the usual sharpness là (辣) distinguished. Often is also the time in which this focus developed significantly longer than with pepper or chili sharpness. The substances responsible for this perception are different amides, which constitute up to 3% of the ingredients of the seed capsules.

Paprika, Chili

The sharpness of the pepper is caused by capsaicin and other capsaicinoids. The person is still recognizable in the position of capsaicin at a dilution of 1 in a million. Well known is the indication of the sharpness of the peppers in Scoville units ( U.S. English: Scoville Heat Units - SHU, with SCU for Scoville units). Sweet peppers, for example, usually has between 0 and 100 units, the well-known American Tabasco sauce has 2.500-5.000 units and Habanero peppers have 100000-500000 units. Pure capsaicin is roughly equivalent to 15 million to 16 million Scoville, thus the hottest chilies have a capsaicin content of about 3 %. By chemical-physical concentration chili sauces can often achieve even higher Capsaicinwerte. From a certain magnitude, the Scoville units no longer play a role. The human body is no longer able to distinguish the sharpness above a threshold value (about 1,000,000 Scoville ). Under the name of Blair 's 16 Million Reserve is sold as hottest chili in the world designated pure capsaicin. The price of approximately 1 ml is around the $ 300. In pharmacological wholesale there are appropriate amounts of pure capsaicin for under 100 euros.

The attempt to mitigate the effects of chili by drinking water or other beverages, mostly in vain. Although the receptors are responsible for the heat sense of pungent spices, bring drinks out of a cooling that can lead to an improvement in the short term, most likely a distribution of capsaicin and thus the opposite effect: namely, an even stronger burning sensation. The best methods against chile hotness exist in drinking milk or eating dairy products such as cheese or yogurt. The fat in these foods triggers the capsaicin and thus reduces the sensation of pain. Among other reasons, especially Mexican dishes are often topped with melted cheese. The same is true with alcohol, and this solves the capsaicin. Another way to relieve pain is eating dry bread. Here, the saliva and thus the capsaicin is absorbed by the bread and can be swallowed without further irritating the receptors.

Just as the fat content of a food can reduce caused by capsaicin, pungency, capsaicin can in turn reduce the perceived sweetness of foods in concentrations of about 4-16 mg / kg.

Mustard and radish

The mustard or horseradish sharpness caused by isothiocyanates. These volatile oils contribute to the sharpness of mustard or horseradish " rises in the nose."

Sinalbin Senfölglykosid is contained, inter alia, in the White mustard.

Black mustard protects itself from predators by a one-percent content of sinigrin, a compound of the lachrymatory, pungent and extremely pungent allyl isothiocyanate with glucose. The typical radish taste is caused by the fact that allyl isothiocyanate is produced enzymatically in case of injury from the treatment or bite from the Senfölglykosid contained in the plant.

In other plants, such as in wasabi and some types of cress: garden cress or watercress, Senfölglykosid is included and is responsible for the sharpness perception. The not to the actual Kressen belonging nasturtium owes it especially their Senfölglykosid that it tastes like similar types of cress and is often associated with them. Because of the slightly spicy taste the leaves and flowers of nasturtium are often used for salads.

Garlic

The sulfur compound allicin contained in fresh garlic acts on the heat receptors in the mouth. Since allicin decomposes in heat, is fried or cooked garlic is not sharp. In contrast to other substances allicin affects both the capsaicin and the stimulated allyl mustard oil receptors. Garlic but it is used primarily for its taste, not because of the sharpness in the kitchen.

Onion

The sharpness of the raw onion has its basis in the incipient case of destruction of the cell walls elimination of propanethial S- oxide from Isoalliin by a cell-specific enzyme. Volatile and reactive propanethial S-oxide also causes the tear irritation.

More hot spices and plants

• Allspice / clove
• Ginger