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The Carolina Reaper Pepper is the world’s spiciest pepper at 1.5 million Scoville Units [1] . Due to this notorious distinction, many individuals on YouTube and other social media formats have taken on the “Carolina Reaper Pepper Challenge” in which they attempt to consume this pepper. Although such efforts are carried out with the purpose of entertainment, serious precautions need to be taken into consideration in order to ensure safety for the person eating a Carolina Reaper Pepper and surrounding people.
Steps
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Consume a serving of a spicy snack food . Any irritation in your mouth, stomach, or eyes in response to consumption of these items is a likely indication of low spice tolerance and signal to avoid eating a Carolina Reaper Pepper [1] X Research source .
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Eat a serving of a spicier item such as jalapeño if the item from step 1 was consumed comfortably. If these spicier items can be comfortably consumed, it is likely safe to proceed with eating a Carolina Reaper Pepper under the right precautions [2] X Research source . If discomfort is experienced, chew on a slice of bread to remove spicy chemicals from taste buds [3] X Research source .Advertisement
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Eat a serving of an even spicier item such as cayenne pepper if Step 2 was consumed comfortably. If discomfort is experienced, drink milk to remove the heat.
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Purchase the Carolina Reaper Pepper from an online store, as it is often not sold in grocery stores. Online stores like PuckerButt Pepper Company and Amazon are reliable options, as they provide packaging costing $1-2 per Carolina Reaper Pepper.
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Buy a gallon of milk, antacids, and towel from a local grocery store if necessary. The milk and antacids help deal with the discomfort of consuming the pepper while the towel help to clean up a potential mess.
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Have a light meal prior to consuming the pepper. Such a precaution significantly decreases the likelihood of throwing up food that is being digested. A slow-digesting item like meat or oatmeal is recommended.
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Mentally calm down before eating the pepper. Stress has been shown to worsen an individual's response to spicy foods.
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Eat only one pepper at a time, not multiple. Consuming more than one pepper greatly increases the potential for body irritation and health danger.
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Avoid making tongue contact with the seeds and inner pepper, instead mainly contacting the outer flesh of the pepper. The seeds and associated inner flesh contain the highest capsaicin content, making them the spiciest portion of the pepper as capsaicin is the component that gives a spicy flavor. [4] X Research source
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Thoroughly chew the pepper. Swallowing prematurely without fully breaking the pepper down greatly increases the risk of stomach discomfort.
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Slowly drink milk if any irritation is felt in the mouth area. Milk contains casein that binds to capsaicin, neutralizing its spicy effect.
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Consume antacids if any stomach pain is felt more than an hour after pepper consumption. Antacids will help to reduce feelings of heartburn and other stomach discomforts.
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Receive medical attention if stomach pain is felt more than an hour after pepper consumption. Such a prolonged body response necessitates medical treatment.
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Wash your hands . Capsaicin residue can remain on fingers after pepper consumption and can lead to skin irritation in certain areas for the person who consumed the pepper and other individuals.
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Use a rag to clean the table or other areas that the pepper has touched. Such areas can contain capsaicin residue and be harmful to those individuals who come into contact with them.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow can I get used to spicy food?Helen Rennie is a chef based in Natick, Massachusetts. She is both the owner of a cooking school and the creator of Helen’s Kitchen, a YouTube channel where she teaches cooking techniques and food science to over 560K subscribers. Helen’s classes and videos focus on many topics, including knife skills, fish, meat, poultry, sauces, vegetables, beans, grains, pies, tarts, pastry, pizza, pasta, grilling, and more. She started her cooking career with an internship in Casablanca Restaurant, and eventually earned a teaching position at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. In 2005, she founded Helen's Kitchen, her culinary education business where she teaches people to cook. Since its founding, Helen’s Kitchen has taught 1,000+ students. Helen's cooking philosophy centers on finding creative ways to prepare local ingredients. She teaches cooking classes in her house in Natick with a strong focus on culinary techniques and food science. She received a BS in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University.Exposing yourself to spicy foods and building up your tolerance will make you get used to spice. Start small by adding just a bit of spice to your food, maybe a dash of hot sauce or a sprinkle of chili flakes to the dishes you already enjoy. The key here is to go slow and adding a little more each time you eat something spicy and letting your taste buds adjust gradually. Hot sauce is one of the easiest ways to start because you can control exactly how much heat you’re adding. Then, as you build your tolerance, you’ll notice that what once felt fiery isn’t as overwhelming anymore.
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References
- ↑ https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/ranking-spicy-snacks-flamin-hot-cheetos-snyder-s-hot-buffalo-wing-pretzels-and-other-popular-hot-snacks
- ↑ http://www.businessinsider.com/scoville-scale-for-spicy-food-2013-11
- ↑ http://www.medicaldaily.com/dont-feel-burn-5-best-remedies-cool-your-tongue-after-eating-spicy-food-279930
- ↑ http://www.culinarylore.com/chiles:do-chile-seeds-have-heat
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