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Infographic,

The Story of Spicy Food

What happens when you eat spicy food?

From the May/June 2024 Issue
Featured Skill: Main Idea and Supporting Details,

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How Hot Is It?

Chili peppers get their heat from a chemical called capsaicin (kap-SAY-uh-suhn). You can rank a pepper’s heat by how much capsaicin it contains.

Where does that spice come from? 

Many spicy foods and hot sauces are made from chili peppers.

  • Chili peppers are at least 50 million years old!
  • 74% of Americans add hot sauce to their food. 
  • In the U.S., the first bottled hot sauce was sold in Massachusetts in 1807. It was made with cayenne peppers and called “cayenne sauce.” 

How Spice Affects Your Health   

  • Eating spicy food may help you live longer. 
  • Capsaicin may help prevent sickness.
  • Spicy food can upset your stomach. 
  • Capsaicin can make your mouth and throat feel like they’re burning. 


Sources: Harris Poll, The BMJ, VICE

THINK AND WRITE

Imagine your school cafeteria is creating a new lunch menu. Using details from the infographic, write a letter explaining whether it should include spicy foods.

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Can't Miss Teaching Extras

Mmm. Are your students in the mood for pizza with hot sauce? Read Pizza Party!, another food-related infographic that’s filled with fun (and tasty) facts.

Do your students love learning about how famous foods came to be? Read about the history of your favorite condiments in “Ketchup and Mustard.”

Save room for dessert and learn about a fan-favorite candy in “How Gummy Bears Took Over the World.” 

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