Spicy Food & Burning Mouth

[insideleft]

Perhaps there is no solution to this one.

I cannot eat food that is even a little spicy. My mouth feels like I'm eating fire.

This happens with boring frequency in Thailand and I'd like to find ways of alleviating this reaction in ways that don't involve staying out of Thailand.

I've asked around for ideas on remedies for this burning mouth - eat a sweet - drink a hot drink -

Do you have any other remedies I can add to this small group?

I love being in Thailand and intend to move there soon, so finding ways of adapting to the local world is very important.

With these types of remedies, I hope to acclimatize my mouth, to raise its sensitivity to spices.

Thanks

etr

Edited November 16, 2008 by insideleft

[terrier123]

Perhaps there is no solution to this one.

I cannot eat food that is even a little spicy. My mouth feels like I'm eating fire.

This happens with boring frequency in Thailand and I'd like to find ways of alleviating this reaction in ways that don't involve staying out of Thailand.

I've asked around for ideas on remedies for this burning mouth - eat a sweet - drink a hot drink -

Do you have any other remedies I can add to this small group?

I love being in Thailand and intend to move there soon, so finding ways of adapting to the local world is very important.

With these types of remedies, I hope to acclimatize my mouth, to raise its sensitivity to spices.

Thanks

etr

There are many Thai foods which are NOT spicey. Learn the menus and start at the bottom of the heat scale and work up.

No water based drink takes away the pain as the heat is in the oil of the peppers. Try yoghurt or milk

[PoorSucker]

Actually there is a pill for that.

miracleberry

[Jim's_a_Thai_Fox]

There are plenty of lovely dishes that require no spicy additions - all the lovely noodle soups are great as served. Traditional dishes that I would recommend are 'chicken and cashew nuts' - very tasty and normally not at all spicy.

As suggested, it takes getting used to, so start at the bottom and have a bottle of chocolate milkshake on hand!

Food tasting is one of the best things about Thailand, I hope you are able to get in on the fun.

[mahtin]

Perhaps there is no solution to this one.

I cannot eat food that is even a little spicy. My mouth feels like I'm eating fire.

This happens with boring frequency in Thailand and I'd like to find ways of alleviating this reaction in ways that don't involve staying out of Thailand.

I've asked around for ideas on remedies for this burning mouth - eat a sweet - drink a hot drink -

Do you have any other remedies I can add to this small group?

I love being in Thailand and intend to move there soon, so finding ways of adapting to the local world is very important.

With these types of remedies, I hope to acclimatize my mouth, to raise its sensitivity to spices.

Thanks

etr

Think you need to lower the sensitivity rather than raise it.

"Mai pet" is a useful phrase in the early stages of acclimatisation.

[elkangorito]

Chillis are alkaline. To reduce the burning sensation, ingest something acidic - like citric acid (fruit juice) or lactic acid (milk).

An Australian friend I know had the same problem as yourself. My suggestion was to start eating food with a low "heat" (not much chilli etc) & do to this regularly until the "heat" was not a problem. Only when this stage has been reached, can further "heat" be added.

After about a year of building up his tolerance to "heat" (spicy food), he is now able to enjoy the "normal" spiciness so enjoyed by others.

[Neeranam]

eat sugar/salt - rub on the tongue when hot.

[taxexile]

eat rice , roll it around in the mouth , the rice will absorb (some) the chilli oils that are burning the oral mucosa and the tongue.

[GuestHouse]

The problem with Acclimatizing your mouth is that at some point you reach the situation where you need to start addressing the inevitable results of putting spicey stuff into the inlet orifice.

[elkangorito]

The problem with Acclimatizing your mouth is that at some point you reach the situation where you need to start addressing the inevitable results of putting spicey stuff into the inlet orifice.

Which are...?

[kiakaha]

Perhaps there is no solution to this one.

I cannot eat food that is even a little spicy. My mouth feels like I'm eating fire.

This happens with boring frequency in Thailand and I'd like to find ways of alleviating this reaction in ways that don't involve staying out of Thailand.

I've asked around for ideas on remedies for this burning mouth - eat a sweet - drink a hot drink -

Do you have any other remedies I can add to this small group?

I love being in Thailand and intend to move there soon, so finding ways of adapting to the local world is very important.

With these types of remedies, I hope to acclimatize my mouth, to raise its sensitivity to spices.

Thanks

etr

chemistry 101..you need an alkaline to balance out the acidity.

try milk or ice cream.

[autonomous_unit]

...

Which are...?

I believe our esteemed colleague is referring to the inevitably engaged exit orifice...

Who knows when I learned my eyes were bigger than my stomach, but it was memorable to learn my mouth was more desensitized than my a...!

[mahtin]

...

Which are...?

I believe our esteemed colleague is referring to the inevitably engaged exit orifice...

Who knows when I learned my eyes were bigger than my stomach, but it was memorable to learn my mouth was more desensitized than my a...!

When the world drops out of your bottom...

Spooner?

[DP25]

Learn the locations of every Khao Man Gai stand where your gonna live.

[whiterussian]

''Halls'' menthol sweets do the trick, as do string mints.. and Coca Cola...

Every so often i get caught out by a random chilli from hel_l.

[thesunset75]

Many supermarket have westhern foods especially bread / butter / jam / cheeses / ham.

Nobody force you to eat chilly if you dont like.

[insideleft]

Fantastic...thank you all very much...

I need to increase my ability to eat spicy food, because, here it comes, I'm allergic to garlic...so, If I can expand the amount of chilli and spices I can eat, my allergy won't get in the way too much when I move to Thailand...

I've been ferreting around with the local food vendors in Bangkok and and getting very effective avoiding garlic poisoned foods.

Milk/yoghurt/sweets and sweet drinks/fruit juice - very easy to combine with my meals...eating in Thailand is one of the main reasons I love being there so much...I do feel like my experience there is limited with my anti-spices/chilli bearing food hole.

Thanks again...

[thesunset75]

Sorry if i was too ironic

Now I understand how allergic effected you, I have the same problem, living here but allergic to weeds (which its use in bread) and egg and peanut so I only eat rice and spicy

[Gary A]

Sticky rice works as well as anything. You are correct that eating spicy food is an acquired thing. I absolutely couldn't and wouldn't eat spicy food for several years but have developed a taste for it to the point that I now frequently add peppers and fish sauce to my dishes.

[Kerryd]

I try every time I am home. But the tolerance I build up in a month, disappears during the 3 months I'm away and I have to start over again.

Fortunately there are a lot of dishes that don't use chillies, or that you can get "phed nit noi" and still enjoy the flavour. I sprinkle the ground red chilly like it was normal black pepper, and a bit of that clear,green chilly sauce from the condiment tray. Try a bite or two and maybe add a dash more.

It takes time to build up to the "full chilly" though.

[AlexLah]

I do not mind the burning mouth, it is when it comes out the next day.

[mahtin]

Sorry if i was too ironic

Now I understand how allergic effected you, I have the same problem, living here but allergic to weeds (which its use in bread) and egg and peanut so I only eat rice and spicy

Wheat?

[soundman]

I do not mind the burning mouth, it is when it comes out the next day.

[kmart]

Once you get your mouth accustomed to spicy food, just remember to put the toilet paper in the fridge before you go to bed.

[thesunset75]

Sorry if i was too ironic

Now I understand how allergic effected you, I have the same problem, living here but allergic to weeds (which its use in bread) and egg and peanut so I only eat rice and spicy

Wheat?

im not sure how to spell, but its in all bread so I can't eat bread at all.

Edited November 16, 2008 by thesunset75

[soundman]

Once you get your mouth accustomed to spicy food, just remember to put the toilet paper in the fridge before you go to bed.

I keep the toilet paper in the dunny. The fridge is a little too far to reach.

[AmeriThai]

Once you get your mouth accustomed to spicy food, just remember to put the toilet paper in the fridge before you go to bed.

Putting toilet paper in the fridge will make it chili.

[soundman]

Once you get your mouth accustomed to spicy food, just remember to put the toilet paper in the fridge before you go to bed.

Putting toilet paper in the fridge will make it chili.

I know, however, it still doesn't do you much good sitting in the fridge, unless, your fridge is located in the dunny.

[PeaceBlondie]

If your mouth is as sensitive as mine is, you will never adapt to most Thai food. And unless you become fluent in Thai, you may never be able to convince the cook or food server how to leave out what hurts. I say 'hurts' as in more painful than eating shards of glass. If you are allergic to garlic as well, maybe also to other food ingredients. I can eat fruits, stir-fried vegetables Chinese style, khao paht gai, and sometimes those mushoom, chicken, cashew and rice dishes. But I have gone ballistic after telling the waiter mai phet, no peppers, no chilies, soon phet, etc., and they bring me shit straight from the fires of he11, chilies and all.

As others have said, all the big cities here are full of Western food. Are you sure you came here for Thai food? Most of it stinks, as well as tastes shitty. Of course, I never tell a Thai that. I just say I have an allergy against chilies, garlic, ginger, fish oil, etc.

[elkangorito]

I just say I have an allergy against chilies, garlic, ginger, fish oil, etc.

Your life must be a living h_e_l_l Peace. To live a life without those wonderful foods would be like living with half a heart/liver/etc <name the organ> to me.