How To Cool Down Spicy Food

Is All Mexican Food Spicy?

Not all Mexican food is spicy. We have lots of recipes in our non-spicy Mexican Food section.

The fiery chemical in hot chillies, capsaicin, likes to bind itself onto a compound in milk, which neutralizes the burn. Add a generous dollop of sour cream, creme fraiche, yogurt, or even a touch of milk or cream to spicy foods. For best results, though, go with full-fat dairy. Beware of adding and then cooking the dairy over a higher heat, as it may curdle.

These include raw bread, bland boiled rice and boiled potatoes. Starch provides a natural barrier between capsaicin and your mouth, absorbing some of it in the process. Therefore, these are the best sides to eat with spicy food. 

Acidic ingredients such as lemon or lime juice, vinegar, wine, tomatoes, and even pineapple will all help to neutralize the pH levels of spicy oil, and reduce some of that flaming-hot flavour. 

4. Add Sweetner

It’s well known that a tablespoon of sugar, palm sugar or honey, stirred in can help take the edge off really spicy dishes.

Discover the authentic flavors of Mexico with the Gran Luchito Chili Gift Set. Featuring our smoky Chipotle Paste made with a blend of chipotle and rare Mexican chilies,spicy and crunchy Salsa Macha and zesty Chipotle Lime Paste.

Available On Amazon Prime In The United Kingdom and The United States

5. Go Nuts!

Adding a tablespoon of nut butter, such as peanut, almond or cashew to your spicy food will help to smother the flames. Tahini is another option. It will mellow things out and you may even love the creamy extra flavour that comes with it.

6. Add More Ingredients

Finally, and probably the most obvious way to tone down a dish that’s too spicy is to add more ingredients! It will simply dilute the spicy element. So try adding more liquid to your soup or stew, or more veg/protein/starchy carbs. 

1. Don’t Drink Water

Capsaicin (the spicy chemical in chillies) is insoluble in water. This means that a large slug of water will do nothing to help you recover.  If it’s relief you’re after, leave water alone, as it won’t help you recover from spicy food. 

2. Drink Milk Or Any Other Dairy

Milk and other dairy contain a protein called casein which dissolves the burn-inducing capsaicin molecules that bind to your tongue when eating chilli. Drink a cold glass of cow’s milk and be sure to swirl it around in your mouth before you swallow it.

3. Drink Lots Of Beer

The good news is that as well as chilli peppers, the other thing Mexico has in great abundance is great-tasting beer. Unlike water, capsaicin is soluble in alcohol and the pain is simply washed away. If you’re in a lot of pain, try a stronger alcoholic drink such a tequila or Mezcal.

4. Eat Something Greasy

Unlike water, capsaicin is soluble in oil meaning that anything greasy is a great cure to cool down spicy food. If you’re in Mexico, your suffering would be a great excuse to try a Queso Fundido! Otherwise, swirl a spoon full of vegetable oil around your mouth and spit it out. I think we prefer the first option..

This one is more of a sponge than a detergent. It won’t dissolve the pain-causing capsaicin molecules found in spicy foods, but it will pick many of them up. 

6. Sugar

The Scoville heat scale, used to measure the heat of chillies, was originally conceived based on the amount of sugar water needed to dilute a given chilli. Stir a spoonful of sugar into a small glass of water, or head to the pantry and put half a teaspoon of sugar or honey on your tongue. Other alternatives include sucking on a sugar cube, or even combining a few of the above and stirring some honey into a White Russian!

Most of the weird and wonderful advice given to remedy the painful effects of eating chilli are based on the proven science outlined above. However, how to neutralise spicy food in terms of home remedies or old wives tales? Here are just a handful of them. Touch the burn with: cucumber, ice cream, banana, toothpaste, lemon/lime juice, or chocolate.