Why are chili peppers hot?

[randy_byers]

A research group including people from the University of Washington have released a study indicating that the capsaicinoid chemicals that make peppers hot are a defense system against fungi that threaten the plants' seeds. Another interesting point of the study is that birds aren't put off by capsaicin and thus will swallow the seeds and deposit them elsewhere with a bit of fertilizer. Furthermore, the researchers argue that people started adding chilis to their food as a way of preserving it, much like salt was used initially. Chilis are yet another plant that originated in South America and have spread into cuisines around the world via Europe.

However, I will say that there's a bit to much pathetic fallacy in this article, such as, "The plant wants the right critter to eat the fruit." I'd say that what's fascinating about plants is that they evolve these intricate systems without actually having any wants!

Comments

[ron-drummond.livejournal.com]

I'd say that what's fascinating about plants is that they evolve these intricate systems without actually having any wants!

Indeed. But there is a need.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Agreed, a need.

[alces2.livejournal.com]

Interesting about the fungi. I'm trying to figure out how, if at all, this relates to the general observation that if you treat chile pepper plants harshly with less water/more sun (as opposed to whipping them and telling them they're bad), the peppers usually are hotter. Interestingly enough habaneros, which I think have more oil (okay, I don't know what oil unless it is capsaicin based oil but they do have more moisture in them) but are hotter and have more of a problem with the pepper itself getting mold or fungus once you take them off the plant and if you air dry them. I haven't actually checked to see if the seeds are still good and will germinate though.

I'm not sure that either want or need are the right words. Wouldn't it be just a matter of the plants that exist that have this "intricate system" exist simply because they survived or continue to survive whereas those that don't have that same system have died or do not propagate as well?

Currently I grow about ten to twelve different types of peppers, mostly hot. A few are just starting to turn red. Can't wait for the chiltepins/pequins(piquins)/bird peppers. Lovely to take one directly off the plant in the morning and pop it in the mouth. Usually the sudden gasp for air because of their heat causes hiccups for me (at least I think that is the reason). Tons of fun/amusement and tasty too.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Hot peppers frequently make me hiccup, especially the hotter ones. And I think it's worth bearing in mind that the study of the effect of capsaicinoids on fungus was for wild peppers, so human-cultivated varieties such as habaneros might be different. The study specifically says that when the peppers are pierced by certain kinds of insects, the seeds are exposed to a certain kind of fungus, which is where they think the capsaicinoid chemicals come in handy.

You're right that "need" is a fraught word too, in its own way. An individual plant doesn't need to propagate, for instance, but the survival of the species requires propagation.

[wrdnrd]

Sometimes science reporting is so close to science fiction as to be nearly indistinguishable. Earlier this year one of our science writers went to the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting, which happened to be in Boston on the exact same weekend as Boskone. There would have been great opportunity for ribbing him about sneaking off to the science *fiction* writers convention if more of my office were fen and knew what the hell i was talking about.

In this case, i blame the researcher, and not so much the reporter, for being whimsical and over-anthropomorphizing.

This is the bit that bugged me:
Paul Sherman's own research on human cuisine found tropical cultures make much more use of spices, including chilies, than people from northern climes.

Like this is research? There are more chilies in tropical climes! I don't recall that the chili is naturally found in, say, Minnesota or England.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Ha! That's a good point about chilies being more common in the tropics, although because of their love of curry, England is not as good an example as Minnesota. Plus the fact that curry has become an English dish points to the fact that peppers can be imported.

[wrdnrd]

I suppose it all comes down to the era the guy is looking at in his research. If we're talking within the past 200-300 years, then the effects of colonialism certainly need to be taken into account. If we're talking about much earlier food habits, then i think England is still a reasonable example. As always, there's just so much more to the original research than the news article has room to tell us. That's one thing i'd never want to be: a science reporter. "There's so much cool stuff going on in this research, and you want me to trim it to *how* many inches?!"

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

One of the things that had never occurred to me is that European colonialism resulted, indirectly, in spicy Thai and Chinese food. But that's of course true of many other things as well, including peanuts. I mean, what's more Thai than peanut sauce? But it's not a plant native to Thailand.

Agreed about science reporting, for newspapers especially. I thought this was one of the better ones I'd seen lately, because it was a little longer than usual, with more details. Loved the tidbit about peppers and cow pastures!