why does wasabi burn your sinuses when you eat it instead of your tongue like peppers?
In: Biology
Peppers have capsaicin and wasabi (or horseradish, usually) has allyl isothiocyanate.
Allyl isothiocyanate is more a more volatile compound so it’s more likely to go up your nose. Capsaicin is oily so hangs around in your mouth longer.
The compound that makes wasabi spicy is more “volatile” this means it evaporates quickly. So when the wasabi is heated by your body heat in your mouth, that spicy chemical turns into a gas and finds its way up your sinuses.
The compound that makes peppers spicy is much less volatile and it’s oil based, so will stick to the insides of your mouth. Most of the “spice” you feel in your sinuses from peppers come from the body trying to purge what it sees as a simple irritant from your throat.
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