The science of spiciness - Rose Eveleth

火辣的科學 - 蘿絲．埃弗萊斯 (Rose Eveleth)

譯者: Regina Chu 審譯者: Geoff Chen

Why does your mouth feel like it's on fire

為什麼你的嘴巴感覺像火燒

when you eat a spicy pepper?

當你在吃辣椒的時候？

And how do you soothe the burn?

你又要如何舒緩這種燒灼感？

Why does wasabi make your eyes water?

為什麼山葵會讓你流淚？

And how spicy is the spiciest spice?

而最辣的辣又是多辣呢？

Let's back up a bit.

讓我們倒轉一下

First, what is spiciness?

首先，什麼是辣？

Even though we often say that something tastes spicy,

即使我們常說 這東西嘗起來很辣

it's not actually a taste,

這其實並不是一種味道

like sweet or salty or sour.

像甜或鹹或酸那樣

Instead, what's really happening

反之，其實真正發生的是

is that certain compounds in spicy foods

會辣的食物中有某些化合物

activate the type of sensory neurons

活化了某些感覺神經元

called polymodal nociceptors.

我們稱之為多樣性疼痛受器

You have these all over your body,

你的身體裡遍佈這些東西

including your mouth and nose,

包括你的嘴巴及鼻子裡都有

and they're the same receptors

而它們也是會被

that are activated by extreme heat.

極熱活化的感覺受器

So, when you eat a chili pepper,

所以，當你吃辣椒的時候

your mouth feels like it's burning

你的嘴巴感覺像火燒般

because your brain actually thinks it's burning.

因為你的大腦 的確認為是燒起來了

The opposite happens when you eat something

相反的情況則是當你在吃

with menthol in it.

含薄荷醇的東西的時候

The cool, minty compound

這種清涼、具薄荷味的化合物

is activating your cold receptors.

會活化你的冷覺受器

When these heat-sensitive receptors are activated,

當這些對熱敏感的受器被活化時

your body thinks it's in contact

你的身體認為它正與

with a dangerous heat source

一種危險的熱源接觸

and reacts accordingly.

並做出相應的反應

This is why you start to sweat,

這就是為什麼你開始流汗

and your heart starts beating faster.

且你的心臟開始跳得更快

The peppers have elicited

辣椒會引發

the same fight-or-flight response

戰鬥或逃跑反應

with which your body reacts to most threats.

就像你的身體對大部份 威脅的反應一樣

But you may have noticed that

但你可能已經注意到

not all spicy foods are spicy in the same way.

並非所有的辛辣食物 都是一樣的辣法

And the difference lies in the types of compounds involved.

而其差別在於是何種 化合物引發的辣

The capsaicin and piperine,

辣椒素及胡椒鹼

found in black pepper and chili peppers,

可在黑胡椒及辣椒內發現

are made up of larger, heavier molecules

是由較大較重的分子組成

called alkylamides,

稱為烷醯胺

and those mostly stay in your mouth.

而那些分子大多停留在嘴裡

Mustard, horseradish, and wasabi

芥末、辣根及山葵

are made up of smaller molecules,

則由小一點的分子組成

called isothiocyanates,

稱為異硫氰酸酯

that easily float up into your sinuses.

很容易上飄到你的鼻竇中

This is why chili peppers burn your mouth,

這就是為什麼辣椒會辣你的嘴

and wasabi burns your nose.

而山葵則辣你的鼻子

The standard measure of a food's spiciness

食物辛辣度的衡量標準

is its rating on the Scoville scale,

取決於它在史高維爾指標中的分數

which measures how much its capsaicin content can be diluted

這項指標測量稀釋辣椒素的需要量

before the heat is no longer detectable to humans.

直到人類不再嚐到辣度為止

A sweet bell pepper gets 0 Scoville heat units,

甜椒的史高維爾辣度單位為 0

while Tabasco sauce clocks in between 1,200-2,400 units.

而塔巴斯科辣椒醬的辣度 則在 1,200-2,400 之間

The race to create the hottest pepper

比賽想要培育出最辣的辣椒

is a constant battle,

是一場持續許久的戰爭

but two peppers generally come out on top:

但一般而言有兩種辣椒拔得頭籌

The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion

千里達毒蠍辣椒

and the Carolina Reaper.

及卡羅萊納死神辣椒

These peppers measure

這兩種辣椒的辣度

between 1.5 and 2 million Scoville heat units,

介於150 到 200 萬 史高維爾辣度單位之間

which is about half the units found in pepper spray.

而這大約為催淚瓦斯的一半

So, why would anyone want to eat something

所以，為什麼有人會想吃

that causes such high levels of pain?

讓人這麼痛的東西？

Nobody really knows when or why

沒有人知道從何時起或為什麼

humans started eating hot peppers.

人類開始吃辣椒

Archaeologists have found spices like mustard

考古學家發現辛香料如芥末

along with human artifacts

與其他人類文物

dating as far back as 23,000 years ago.

一併可追溯遠至二萬三千年前

But they don't know whether the spices were used

但他們不知道這些辛香料是用做

for food or medication or just decoration.

食品或藥品或僅是裝飾品

More recently, a 6,000 year old crockpot,

時間再近一點 有一個六千年的燉鍋

lined with charred fish and meat,

鍋底沾了一層燒焦的魚及肉

also contained mustard.

也含有芥末

One theory says that humans

有一個理論說人類

starting adding spices to food

開始加辛香料入食物

to kill off bacteria.

是為了殺菌

And some studies show that spice developed

而一些研究證明辛香料的利用

mostly in warmer climates

大部分是在較暖活的氣候區裡

where microbes also happen to be more prevalent.

那裡微生物也恰好更盛行

But why we continue to subject ourselves

但為什麼今天我們繼續讓自己

to spicy food today

臣服於辛辣食物

is still a bit of a mystery.

至今仍然是個謎

For some people,

對某些人而言

eating spicy food

吃辣的食物

is like riding rollercoasters;

就像坐雲霄飛車一樣

they enjoy the ensuing thrill,

他們享受隨之而來的刺激感

even if the immediate sensation is unpleasant.

即使這立時的感覺並不愉快

Some studies have even shown

有些研究甚至指出

that those who like to eat hot stuff

那些喜歡吃辣的人

are more likely to enjoy other adrenaline-rich activities,

更有可能享受其他讓人 腎上腺素分泌旺盛的活動

like gambling.

像是賭博

The taste for spicy food

喜歡吃辣的胃口

may even be genetic.

甚至可能是遺傳

And if you're thinking about training a bit,

如果你在想或許可以訓練一下

to up your tolerance for spice,

提高你吃辣的忍受度

know this:

請搞清楚：

According to some studies,

根據某些研究

the pain doesn't get any better.

疼痛感並不會減輕

You just get tougher.

你只是變得更能忍受了

In fact, researchers have found

事實上，研究者發現

that people who like to eat spicy foods

喜歡吃辣的人

don't rate the burn any less painful

給火辣所給的痛覺打的分數

than those who don't.

並不少於不吃辣的人

They just seem to like the pain more.

他們只是似乎更喜歡痛苦

So, torment your heat receptors all you want,

所以，盡情地折磨你的熱覺受器吧

but remember, when it comes to spicy food,

但要記住，當談到辛辣的食物

you're going to get burned.

你是引火上身