There is not a single animal that enjoys hot pepper, but we are not the only animal species eating chillies. Mammals, like mice and squirrels, share the same spicy food receptors humans have, and they tend to avoid hot peppers as food sources
Spiciness, or its perception, occurs in most cuisines worldwide. The chilli pepper of the genus Capsicum is one of the world’s most widely used spices, found in thousands of recipes and sometimes eaten as a stand-alone dish. One in every four people on the planet currently eats chillies on a daily basis.
A phylogenetic analysis found that they are native to an area along the Andes of western to northwestern South America. These ancestral wild Capsicum were “small red, round, berry-like fruits.” Why chilli burns? Spiciness is a burning sensation caused by capsaicin in food. When we eat spicy food, capsaicin stimulates receptors in our mouth called TRPV1 receptors and triggers a reaction. The purpose of TRPV1 receptors is thermoreception — the detection of heat. This means they are supposed to deter us from consuming food that burns.
The world’s hottest pepper — the Carolina Reaper — goes all the way up to 2.2 million units. Bear spray — two per cent capsaicin — is advertised at 3.3 million units, and pure capsaicin hits 16 million at the top of the Scoville scale. Some experts argue that humans like chillies because they are good for us. They have some beneficial effects on human health. They reduce blood pressure and may have some antimicrobial effects. The pain of chillies can even overwhelm and help manage other pains.
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