It's International Hot & Spicy Day

Do you think life is better with pepper? Here, 10 of our spiciest dishes.

January 16 is International Hot and Spicy Day! But before actually sampling this spicy bunch, it would be wise these fire-fighting tips for the tongue:

No to H20
While the initial reaction would be downing a glass of water, putting an ice cube in your mouth would be wiser as it provides a cooling, though temporary, relief. Water just spreads the spiciness around the mouth.

Dairy does it.
There's a reason why spicy Indian and Mexican food come with some sort of yogurt sauce or creamy dip. That's because dairy products, like milk and cheese, consist of a component called casein that absorbs capsaicin (the irritant found in chili peppers)—in short, it's spicy's kryptonite.

Spoonful of sugar
Take it from Mary Poppins! Sugar acts as a decoy to distract your tongue, providing another strong taste to focus on. It's exactly like diverting your attention.

Think of what ice cream (ice + dairy + sugar!) would do? Thrice the anti-spiciness power! You can also find relief in bread, rice, and French fries.


But what would life be like without some spice, right? See below some of our sweat-inducing spicy dishes. Hoo!

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