What Makes a Chili Hot?
The substance in chilies that makes them spicy is called capsaicin. It is concentrated in the veins of the fruit (not the seeds) and stimulates the nerve endings in your mouth, fooling your brain into thinking you’re in pain. The brain responds by releasing substances called endorphins, which are similar in structure to morphine. A mild euphoria results, and chilies can be mildly addictive because of this hot pepper “high”. The seed contain a small portion of capsaicin (the stuff that makes a pepper hot). The “hot” comes from capsaicinoids concentrated in the inner wall of the pepper and don’t forget those white lines that run from top to bottom, these to contain small amounts of capsaicinoids.
