There’s always a spicy. There has to be! Spicy tasting things are popular around the world. But have you ever wondered why? Here’s some info from Wikipedia on spiciness –
Pungency is the condition of having a strong, sharp smell or taste that is often so strong that it is unpleasant.[1][2] Pungency is the technical term used by scientists to refer to the characteristic of food commonly referred to as spiciness or hotness and sometimes heat,[3][4][5] which is found in foods such as chili peppers.
The scientific term for the effect of pungency is chemesthesis. Substances such as piperine and capsaicin cause a burning sensation by inducing a trigeminal nerve reaction together with normal taste reception. The pungent feeling caused by allyl isothiocyanate, capsaicin, piperine, and allicin is caused by activation of the heat thermo- and chemosensitive TRP ion channels including TRPV1 and TRPA1 nociceptors. The pungency of chilies may be an adaptive response to selection by microbial pathogens.[3]
Pungency is not considered a taste in the technical sense because it is carried to the brain by a different set of nerves. While taste nerves are activated when consuming foods like chili peppers, the sensation commonly interpreted as “hot” results from the stimulation of somatosensory fibers in the mouth. Many parts of the body with exposed membranes that lack taste receptors (such as the nasal cavity, genitals, or a wound) produce a similar sensation of heat when exposed to pungent agents.
Interesting… Well, it doesn’t exactly answer my question above, but has some neat info. Anyways – this isn’t science class its noodle reviewing – let’s try these Nissin Demae Ramen Spicy noodles!
Nissin Demae Ramen Spicy – Germany
Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add noodles to 500ml boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Add in sachet contents. Finally, stir and enjoy!
The noodle block.
The dry soup base.
A deep shaded powder.
A liquid sachet.
Perhaps the spicy component?
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, spring onion and beef cooked with chilli oil. The noodles have a very standard gauge and chew. The broth has a nice little hit of spiciness, although doesn’t seem like anything most folks couldn’t handle. A nice bowl of spicy noodles. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8712429361106.
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