# Fireball in cheek **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 11, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireball-in-cheek/168022 "2003-04-11T13:10:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CaGe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc8723/32.png) [@CaGe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaGe)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireball-in-cheek/168022/1 "2003-04-11T13:10:10Z")
Why does a fireball make your cheek feel all hot, when rested on the inside of your cheek? I’m guessing it had something do do with nerves in your cheek. This also works with cinammon gum and such. I always feel a burning sensation in my mouth whenever I chew cinammon gum, is it just me, or is this the experiance of cinammon? ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireball-in-cheek/168022/2 "2003-04-11T13:35:42Z")
It’s the experience of cinnamon. IIRC, atomic fireballs and other such treats are very cinnamon-based (or artificial-cinnamon-based). ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireball-in-cheek/168022/3 "2003-04-11T13:41:56Z")
I amend my previous post to say that the treats are of course _surgar-based_, but the spicy flavoring is _cinnamon-based_. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireball-in-cheek/168022/4 "2003-04-11T14:39:30Z")
Many of the pungent spices that we enjoy are actually parts of the defence mechanisms of plants; they are _supposed_ to burn so that we spit them out and learn to eat something else (and the plant continues in relatively unmolested state). Didn’t quite work out that way with humans, that’s all.