My 10 year old vs Chilli!

[JillyDoDa]

Today my 10-year-old bravely (or foolishly 😅) decided to try a chilli for the first time. The look on their face was priceless — wide eyes, a dramatic gasp, and then instant running for a glass of water! I couldn’t stop laughing, but it got me thinking… why are chillies actually hot?

How would you explain this fiery mystery to a curious 7–11-year-old? Any funny or dramatic reactions your kids have had to spicy food?

There is a chemical in the chilli that triggers the heat receptors in your mouth - the same ones that detect that your food is too hot.

DS2, about 18 months, stuck a slice of lemon in his mouth, made a face, then came back for more!! He still eats the slices of lemon on drinks.

Dd1 proudly bought a mother's day breakfast in a bag with her own pocket money from school. Dd2 decided that she wanted to try the orange juice. It didn't go well. There was a perfectly arced fountain of juice from her cute little mouth all over my fresh white bedding, and dd1 was horrified that I wasn't consuming everything

Yogurt, or even milk, would have been better than water.
(Don't ask me the science.)

“dairy breaks down the oil-based compound capsaicin that causes the burning sensation.”

From Google.

Water doesn’t break down the capsaicin so it might feel soothing (eg cold water) but it wont’t stop the burning.

It's like the Internet is listening! One of our family favourite podcasts just answered the question for us! Mystery solved!