Why do we love spicy things? Go to any restaurant, and you will definitely see at least one person 0________ their food in scorching-hot Tabasco sauce, or eating chilli peppers like bread. That’s because spiciness 17 your body to release endorphins, making you feel a natural high.

Is there such a thing as too spicy? Scoville scale has an answer to that. It measures 18 , or just how hot a pepper is. Specifically, it is an attempt to 19 spiciness – to express it in real numbers, making a great 20 point for people who are into such things. For instance, the habanero pepper is on average 25 times more potent than the jalapeño pepper. The number itself is not abstract too – it is the amount of water required to completely 21 the 22 of heat the pepper gives.

The thing that is responsible for the spiciness is an element called capsaicin. One thing worth knowing is that it is hydrophobic, which means that drinking water is not very effective in alleviating the burning feeling. An 23 drink works much better there, so a glass of orange juice will come in 24 when your mouth is on fire!