Behind the agonising pleasure of capsaicin

What do humans and an Asian tree shrew have in common? We are the only two mammals known to tolerate the burn of capsaicin – the active chemical compound responsible for making chilli peppers spicy hot. Yet, how did we come to love the irritant that evolved to keep us and other hungry omnivores and herbivores at bay?

An extraordinary 57.3 million tons of chilli peppers are consumed globally each year. We explore the evolutionary biology, neuroscience, psychology, and archaeology to explain why the chilli pepper has become one of the widest cultivated spice crops in the world.

Video Journalist: Clayton Conn

Commissioning Editor: Griesham Taan

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