# Pepperoncini and Milk **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 17, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118 "2003-03-17T22:09:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zigaretten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/91b2a8/32.png) [@zigaretten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zigaretten)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118/1 "2003-03-17T22:09:51Z")
I’ve always been a nut for those little pepperoncini peppers. In the old days I would eat a bunch of them along with a great big glass of milk 'cause I know that milk neutralizes the “hot” part of the pepper. Alas, I can no longer digest milk, but I’m still nuts about the peppers. Anyone know of any other drinks (or foods) which would replace milk? (And for the record, anything which contains alcohol, while perhaps of general interest, won’t help me.) Thanks ---
**Author:** ![rjciii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecae2f/32.png) [@rjciii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjciii)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118/2 "2003-03-17T22:24:30Z")
I wasn’t aware that milk “neutralized” capsaicin in the first place. I’d just keep eating the peppers. ---
**Author:** ![rjciii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecae2f/32.png) [@rjciii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjciii)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118/3 "2003-03-17T22:33:10Z")
Well, it looks as though milk does, in fact, offer some relief. Not enough to “neutralize”, but it seems to help lessen the effects a bit. Also, there are some other suggestions for you to try. Sugar water may work. [http://www.fiery-foods.com/dave/taste9.html](http://www.fiery-foods.com/dave/taste9.html) ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118/4 "2003-03-17T23:11:04Z")
I’ve used bread to cool the heat. From what I’ve been told, whatever causes the heat is oil based, so water, soda, beer, etc are pretty ineffective. The bread actually soaks up the oils. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![zigaretten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/91b2a8/32.png) [@zigaretten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zigaretten)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118/5 "2003-03-17T23:12:06Z")
Hmmm…wouldn’t “sugar water” be about the same as soda pop? I know coke doesn’t work too well. Olive oil might be worth a try, but only if I sop it up with bread. Trouble is, it didn’t score so well on your test. ---
**Author:** ![BadBaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@BadBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBaby)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118/6 "2003-03-18T00:51:29Z")
At our county fair, the judges of spicy foods use crackers, bread, milk, and bits of cheese (for the oil I suspect). Each has their preference, and I’ve found that none of them do much more than dull the effect. ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118/7 "2003-03-18T03:19:50Z")
I’ve had rice with very hot foods, at that seems to work fairly well actually. I imagine it’s the soaking up the oil principle. Or, you could try soy milk maybe. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118/8 "2003-03-18T04:06:42Z")
Tequila. **Cecil Adams** on [Why water won’t help after eating spicy hot food](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_346.html) ---
**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118/9 "2003-03-18T12:42:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zigaretten \* > \*\*Alas, I can no longer digest milk, but I’m still nuts about the peppers. \*\* It is a well known fact that milk is good against hot spices. According to [Fiery-Foods.com](http://www.fiery-foods.com/dave/taste9.html): > [@](#): > > Scientists now believe that casein in the milk is responsible for its cooling effects…casein is a phosphoprotein that acts as a detergent and strips the capsaicin from the nerve receptor binding sites in the mouth which are contained in the taste papilli. The casein in milk is in the form of calcium caseinate, which constitutes about three percent of milk. Other possible cool-downs containing casein include milk chocolate and some beans and nuts. Depending on what part of the milk you cannot digest, there might be something you could try. If you’re lactose intolerant, maybe you could try yougurt, where I believe that the lactose has been decomposed into simpler sugars, but the casein should still be there. Or you could try milk chocolate, beans or nuts. It’s time to experiment! ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118/10 "2003-03-18T15:48:53Z")
Testosterone always worked for me. Suck it up. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118/11 "2003-03-18T17:40:06Z")
Lettuce works. That’s why a lot of mexican restaurants put lettuce on the plate. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118/12 "2003-03-18T17:58:30Z")
Plain Yogurt? You may run into the digestion factor though… For my intolerance, yogurt (and ice cream) goes through me better than milk. ---
**Author:** ![TeleTronOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4af34b/32.png) [@TeleTronOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeleTronOne)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118/13 "2003-03-18T18:08:00Z")
The spiciness is caused by capsaicin’s high alkalinity. So you want to offset it with something acid. Tomato works well, or you could even suck on a lime or something if you’re trying to go non-dairy. As has been noted previously, Milk/dairy products have some additional effects that generally make them the best for putting out capsaicin fires - but if you can’t do dairy, just try to find something acidic. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118/14 "2003-03-18T18:55:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TeleTronOne \* > \*\*The spiciness is caused by capsaicin’s high alkalinity. So you want to offset it with something acid. Tomato works well, or you could even suck on a lime or something if you’re trying to go non-dairy. As has been noted previously, Milk/dairy products have some additional effects that generally make them the best for putting out capsaicin fires - but if you can’t do dairy, just try to find something acidic. \*\* Then why, pray tell, when I make salsa, which is ninety-five percent tomato, and maybe 2 percent hot pepper (cayenne) is it still hot? Even after a year in the jar? ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118/15 "2003-03-19T05:23:49Z")
You may wish to try hot tea or coffee. The pepper oils are also dissolved better by hot liquids, just as washing grease off of a surface is assisted by hot water instead of cold. ---
**Author:** ![zigaretten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/91b2a8/32.png) [@zigaretten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zigaretten)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118/16 "2003-03-19T05:32:19Z")
Tonight I tried pepperoncini and orange juice since somewhere it talked about citrus. Taste-wise this was a real loser. (Though it was pretty lousy OJ to begin with.) ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepperoncini-and-milk/162118/17 "2003-03-19T06:32:06Z")
Just enjoy the afterglow