Can you teach yourself to like spicy foods?1

[Bigtanker]

In my teens, any spicy food would drive me nuts. Not like heartburn, the squirts etc, but it would burn my mouth really bad.

Fast forward about 20+ years. I received a dare from my kids while at a restaurant last weekend. Tabasco hot sauce on my omlette. So I obliged. I started with a small shake and worked it all over, so I didn't have it all in one spot. Took a bite and it was warm but not bad. A little more and felt a little burn but again, bearable.

Kids were happy their daddy ate some hot sauce. I kinda enjoyed it. I bought a bottle for home and am adding a little on some of my meals.

I don't plan on downing a habinaro any time soon but would like to get there in the next 30 years.

Anybody else ever upped their heat tolerance over time?

 

[nra4ever]

The sooner you start the hotter you can go. Get ur kids to try a little spicy then move them up over time. They will thank you later

 

[IndianaSoloMcfly]

Ive always loved ridiculously spicy food. But recently i purchased a bottle of sauce that exceeded my expectations. It has other ingredients but the base naga jolokia peppers i think. Ive eat on it and now ive noticed im building a resistance to it and food i used to think was spicy isnt anymore. So yes i think you build up a tolerance over time

 

[churchmouse]

Never been a fan as it burns my mouth no matter. Tried a lot of different blends/spices. I lie the flavor but it hates me.....

 

[bwframe]

Good that you are rounding out your diet with a little heat. You might try working in jalapeno and cayenne, a little at a time. Peppers vary in heat according to a lot of conditions. Go slow.

FYI - I like peppers and eat a lot, but have never been a huge fan of tabasco.

 

[M67]

Tabasco is hot sauce?

I thought it was red vinegar water

 

[Bigtanker]

Tabasco is hot sauce?

I thought it was red vinegar water

As a teen, it would set my mouth on fire.

 

[Expat]

If you like a little splash now and then, go for it. Eat what you enjoy.

 

[CindyE]

I have read that our taste buds change about every 7 years. I like spicy heat, but not so hot that i can't taste the food. I remember my dad always putting tobasco on scrambled eggs. I like Frank's Red Hot, or jalapeno sauce.

 

[EyeCarry]

It's not always about the heat. It is always about the flavor though. And what you, or I, may like may be different than the next person... Tabasco is not my favorite brand. Cholula and Franks are my go to-s. Smokey chipotle powder is more complex that Cayenne pepper...... There is a world of heat/flavor out there. Congrats for exploring and yes, taste buds change over the years. Go with the flow.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

Franks is awesome. And yes, you do build up a tolerance over time. My Dad and I both like very spicy, but not extremely hot stuff. We enjoy seriously bitey chili once in awhile.
If you haven't been, Jungle Jims in Cincinnati has a whole hot sauce department. With a firetruck on top of it! It's something you don't see in cornfield county. They even have a special event for hot sauces.
Stay away from stuff like Dave's insanity sauce until you work up to it.
Have fun!

 

[two70]

Tabasco is hot sauce?

I thought it was red vinegar water

It is..... and Louisiana Hot Sauce is much better red vinegar water.

 

[K_W]

I used to hate hot stuff, eventually in my twenties I got to be able to handle jalapeno, right now I can handle a tiny bit of habanero but I get the sweats pretty easy, my wife can't even handle and eraserhead sized piece of the Papa John's peppers... I can eat about 3 whole before I have trouble.

 

[M67]

As a teen, it would set my mouth on fire.

I've loved hot and spicy food for a while, just never got into Tobasco and I've given it a lot of chances. There's just no good flavor. Surprisingly though, the Tabasco branded Siracha is actually pretty damn good though.

Where you get into super hot sauce is when it's made from capsaicin extract, you can get stuuupid hot. I have a bottle I've had for about 6 years now, a little goes a long way. It's called Beyond Hot Sauce. That stuff you want to make sure you wash your hands afterwards

It is..... and Louisiana Hot Sauce is much better red vinegar water.

Louisiana isn't bad, usually good flavor

 

[CountryBoy19]

IMHO, there is a limit to which your mouth can become tolerant to spicy.... your anus will NOT grow in tolerance, it will burn the next day no matter what...

With that out of the way, I used to be a Tabasco fan until I discovered Sriracha; much more robust flavor to go with the heat. Tobasco is just aged spicy vinegar, you can't even taste the peppers in it.

 

[jgressley2003]

I like things that are a little spicy, but not over the top. If I start sweating, mouth hurts, or lips go numb then that's too much for me.

 

[JollyMon]

I hated spicy food when I was growing up. everything was plain or mild. Around the time I finished college, I started slowly adding more and more heat to my food (I think those man vs food shows were a factor). Now most hot food doesn't bother me too much. I can get Thai food "thai hot" and not blink an eye.... depending on who makes it that day...

Though, if I do get something very hot, I start getting the hiccups.... havent found a way to control that involuntary spasm.

 

[Gluemanz28]

Try some of the sliced pickled jalapeños BT

They have some kick but not too bad and lots of flavor.

My 6 & 8 year old grandsons will tear up a bag of Takis corn snacks.

 

[SMiller]

Hated spicy food till I got in my 30's, I can't get enough of it now.

Louisiana hot sauce goes great with some mozzarella cheese in scrambled eggs.

 

[indiana hillbilly]

Tabasco has four ingredients:
Water
Vinegar
Red Pepper
Salt