So Hot Right Now: Why We Love the Chile Pepper
So Hot Right Now: Why We Love the Chile Pepper  
Podcast: Gastropod
Published On: Tue Apr 27 2021
Description: Perhaps no other plant is as entwined with pain and pleasure as the chile pepper. But why does it burn—and why on earth do we crave that uncomfortable sensation? How did capsaicin's fungus-fighting, digestion-enhancing, and adrenaline-triggering powers convince early hunter gatherers in South America to fall in love with the chile's tiny berry ancestors, and then European colonists to spread chiles around the world? Plus, new insights into the rise of the “superhots,” chilehead competitions, and a murder-by-Carolina-Reaper attempt right here on team Gastropod. Who survived to tell the tale? Listen in to find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices