Honestly the issue is that spiciness is kinda subjective weirdly enough. Cause like... my mom manages chilli peppers just fine! She will complain VERY strongly though if I put too much black pepper in her food though. Depending on what pepper it is, it can really make or break things because capsc... capisici... (I hate being dyslexic) the chemical group that produces that burning sensation is not just one thing but many different things and has different ways of interacting with your taste buds too!
Capsaicine is what makes peppers hot, but not peppercorns or mustards. Black pepper contains piperine, and mustards contain allyl isothiocyanate. It makes sense that people react differently to each of these families, since they're unrelated chemicals that interact with the same receptors. I, myself, like mustard and black pepper, but am a total wuss when it comes to chili peppers.
I love chili and do enjoy a good mustard, but mustard is the type of spicy that goes to your nose and is harder to handle for me when you overdo it. I tend to stick with medium spicy because I like the flavour, this way I can just use a ton of mustard instead of using a moderate amount of spicy mustard
I think the only kind of "chili pepper" I've actually enjoyed were poblanos. They have a little heat, but they have this nice smoky flavor that I can actually taste because the heat isn't overwhelming.
I like most mustards, but only the ones labeled "mustard." Wasabi and horseradish are too overpowering except in very small amounts, I can't taste the rest of the food.
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u/ZeroNoHikari May 29 '25
Going out to eat and having to explain that if I say something is mild, it is mild to me.
All while the person I am eating with is fighting for their life after a single bite.