Did You Know? The Spiciest Part of Chili Peppers Is Not the Seeds as Commonly Believed

The belief that the spiciness of chili peppers comes from "chili seeds" is a common misconception. The compound responsible for the spicy sensation is called capsaicin, which chili peppers produce to protect themselves against fungi and mammals.

Clarifying which part of the chili is the spiciest: it is not the "chili seeds" as commonly thought.

The part with the highest concentration of capsaicin and the greatest heat is the " chili placenta " or the area of the white central tissue that holds the chili seeds, not the seeds themselves as many assume. The

"chili seeds" actually contain almost no capsaicin, but the reason seeds taste hot when eaten is because they are in contact with the surrounding placenta that contains intense spiciness. The level of spiciness in each part of the chili

If a chili is separated by parts according to the concentration of capsaicin, the spiciest to least spicy parts rank as follows:

1. Chili placenta

or the white central core, which contains the highest amount of capsaicin, accounting for nearly 80-90% of the total heat in the chili. 2. Inner wall of the fruit

the inner flesh of the chili next to the placenta. 3. Outer chili flesh

the skin and outer flesh of the chili have moderate to low spiciness. 4. Chili seeds

which have very little or almost no capsaicin inside their structure. How to reduce chili spiciness when cooking

To lower the spiciness in cooking while preserving the chili’s flavor and color, removing only the "

central core and white membranes " is the most effective method, rather than just scraping out the seeds alone. Additionally, capsaicin is not soluble in water but dissolves well in fats and alcohol. Therefore, drinking cold water only slightly relieves the burning sensation. More effective relief comes from drinking milk, dairy products, or eating foods containing fat, which help dissolve and wash away capsaicin from the tongue’s taste receptors.