Water will help a little if you burn your mouth though; if you drink enough of it it dilutes down the capsaicin which does relieve the pain a little.

I am no expert, I just love eating the stuff. However, if google hasn’t failed me, then it seems to have everything to do with acidity (so that was a very good assumption on your part).

When we get burned by hot peppers (whether in our mouths or on our skin) it is a “base” burn, so the acidity from lemon or vinegar or wine neutralizes it… quite literally.

As I understand it, the effect from milk and yogurt is rather different. Dairy products contain a chemical called caisen. Caisen basically removes the effect of the burn by stripping it from it receptor site, whether on the on the skin or in the mouth (which, I suppose, is also skin, eh?).

So, acid makes it more neutral, milk pulls it off the receptor site like a little chemical vacuum cleaner.

Good stuff. Sugar works, too. However, my favorites are usually to use cheese, sour cream, and margaritas. :D

I’ve heard a lot of things that might mitigate the effects of Capsaicin. Yogurt and milk (thanks @iNow) are oft proffered as effective. Do we know why?

Two different professional chefs I’ve met recommended using lemon juice or vinegar within culinary concoctions, to make an already spicy preparation milder. They do seem to help, in my experience, and it’s what I often use, since I’m allergic to dairy products. I’ve thought that perhaps it has something to do with acidity. Is this the same reason milk or yogurt works?

Anyway, @ecoli, great post! I’ve been waiting for a good exposition of this phenomenon for a long time.

Btw… Try yogurt. Dip your hand into a bowl of it and it will sooth it. Same for your mouth. When eating hot food, yogurt will help ammeliorate the burn. If yogurt is not available, milk is a close substitute. I learned this eating some really hot Indian curries.

FYI - Another thing you can do with your peppers is to make a spicy pesto with basil and olive oil. Great for dipping (and even mixing with some yogurt like tzatziki).

Enjoy!