Can chillies become addictive

A.� Experts believe the charm of the chilli is due to a highly addictive chemical reaction.�The substance that delivers the hit is capsaicin, an alkaloid with all the characteristics of a poison. On detecting the 'poison', the brain responds by producing endorphins, the chemicals manufactured by the brain to cope with dangerous situations. The more you eat chillies, the more your body craves the kick.

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Q.� How long have chillies been around for

A.� They arrived from the New World around three centuries ago. They were welcomed as an alternative to piper nigrum, the peppercorn, which was once as highly valued as gold. Families turned to chilli as a pepper substitute at a time when the spice routes to the Orient had been closed down. Chillies were also used for their medicinal properties - they have anti-scorbutic, disinfectant, insect-repellant anbd anti-malarial uses.

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Q.� Why are some chillies hotter than others

A.� Botanically, all chillies are descended from two species of capiscum, both naturally hot: Capiscum annuum, an annual plant whose fruit hang down the plant; and the smaller, fiery C. frutescens, a perennial bush whose fruit point upwards. The former has been tamed to produce mild salad peppers, and the latter is responsible for the hot chillies added to spicy food.

There are hundreds of different varieties of chillies grown in the world, each with their own characteristics depending on the climate.

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Q.� What's best - dried or fresh

A.� Whether you're buying fresh red or green chillies, always look for firm, shiny skins. A chilli harvested when red and ripe will progress naturally to dehydration. A chilli harvested when green will change colour as it matures, but it will wither and rot as it dies.

With dried chillies, whole or ground, the key is its brightness and colour. The flavour of dried chillies is hot and sweet, with a caramalised intensity.

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Q.� Your mouth is burning - what can ease the discomfort

A.� There is heat in the flesh and the seeds, but the most concentrated heat is in the fibres that attach the two. The best antidote to chilli burn is a glass of milk or a spoonful of yoghurt as the casein in the dairy produce disarms the capsaicin of the chilli. The worst is to reach for the water since capsaicin, like oil, does not dissolve in water.

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Q.� What's the hottest chilli

A.� Habanero, closely related to the scotch bonnet chilli, comes from the Caribbean and is probably the hottest of the lot. Thai or bird's eye peppers, long, thin peppers from the cayenne family, are also extremely hot and should be used sparingly in Chinese and South-east Asian dishes.

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By Katharine MacColl