How to deal with spicy food when avoidance is not possible
November 18, 2013 4:17 AM Subscribe
I am starting to travel to India for business, there is no getting around it. I LOVE to eat, but I do not like spicy/hot food. Everything (to my palate) is spicy in India. How to acclimatize? Just time? Please help.
I love to try different cuisines, I love food, basically. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, my taste buds DO NOT like spicy/hot food. I end up only tasting the spicyness and then, I cannot taste anything, or enjoy my meal afterwards. To complicate matters, I need to start traveling twice a year to our offices in Pune, India. For my initial visit I really tried to go out with my local colleagues and taste, taste, taste and explore the cuisine. EVERYTHING was spicy/hot to me. Now after my second trip, I tried to find a middle ground, and request in the restaurants if the kitchen could please "turn the spice level down", and they agreed and were very helpful - but, still, TOO spicy for me. I don't want to be that traveller that stays within the hotel buffet because its "safe", but I can't seem to relax when I go out because I am constantly worried whether my mouth is going to really burn. How to I get used to the spice? baby steps? just fake it 'till you make it? I love every other component of the dishes when they are explained to me, its just DAT CHILI PEPPER (and whatever else raises the heat level)!
I love to try different cuisines, I love food, basically. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, my taste buds DO NOT like spicy/hot food. I end up only tasting the spicyness and then, I cannot taste anything, or enjoy my meal afterwards. To complicate matters, I need to start traveling twice a year to our offices in Pune, India. For my initial visit I really tried to go out with my local colleagues and taste, taste, taste and explore the cuisine. EVERYTHING was spicy/hot to me. Now after my second trip, I tried to find a middle ground, and request in the restaurants if the kitchen could please "turn the spice level down", and they agreed and were very helpful - but, still, TOO spicy for me. I don't want to be that traveller that stays within the hotel buffet because its "safe", but I can't seem to relax when I go out because I am constantly worried whether my mouth is going to really burn. How to I get used to the spice? baby steps? just fake it 'till you make it? I love every other component of the dishes when they are explained to me, its just DAT CHILI PEPPER (and whatever else raises the heat level)!
Best answer: You could also drink a lassi while eating. Another form in which yogurt is hiding will be the different raitas on the menu.
posted by peacheater at 4:22 AM on November 18, 2013 [9 favorites]
posted by peacheater at 4:22 AM on November 18, 2013 [9 favorites]
Best answer: It really is possible to build up a tolerance for spiciness over time, especially if you're not otherwise overly sensitive to other eating things like texture or smell. For me, I really didn't ever want spicy food (but was willing to put up with it for other flavors) until I fell in love with Korean food, which claims to be hot, but is actually usually pretty mild except for a few dishes here and there. Suddenly I was actively craving my food to be spicy, and I've found that after a couple of years I'm enjoying other types of spicy food much more, and the lingering spiciness that I dislike the most in other cuisines seems to be less of a problem for me than it had been. So basically I think my kimchi cravings forced me to build up a tolerance. If you have a different cuisine you really love with a medium spiciness level (authentic Mexican comes to mind) then you could use that to help you build up to other food in the downtime between trips to India.
The advice above about dairy is really true. It absolutely helps. It doesn't work 100%, and if you're like my mother who doesn't like either dairy or spicy food, it might be futile. But it definitely sweeps away a lot of that lingering spice from the sensitive parts of your mouth and throat. (Essentially the spice is an oil. The oil is sticking to you! Dairy bonds with the oil and you swallow it down.) You can also adjust your ratio of carb to curry so you're having more rice or bread than you were before. It's possible that what you're eating is intended to be had with a much larger mouthful of something to absorb it than what you're doing. Try using your bread to pinch up a bite of curry (or whatever it is) instead of dipping or using a spoon, and see if that helps. Upside to this? Leftovers.
posted by Mizu at 4:38 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
The advice above about dairy is really true. It absolutely helps. It doesn't work 100%, and if you're like my mother who doesn't like either dairy or spicy food, it might be futile. But it definitely sweeps away a lot of that lingering spice from the sensitive parts of your mouth and throat. (Essentially the spice is an oil. The oil is sticking to you! Dairy bonds with the oil and you swallow it down.) You can also adjust your ratio of carb to curry so you're having more rice or bread than you were before. It's possible that what you're eating is intended to be had with a much larger mouthful of something to absorb it than what you're doing. Try using your bread to pinch up a bite of curry (or whatever it is) instead of dipping or using a spoon, and see if that helps. Upside to this? Leftovers.
posted by Mizu at 4:38 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Yeah, I used to be a similar situation since I did not like spicy food as a child but grew up in South Asia so I was constantly having the burning mouth probem. I found bread and dairy products to be the key as well. I can't remember where I read this because it was a long time ago, but there's something about the bread that also soaks up the spice. So order your food with naan on the side and a lassi. Plain rice is also good. Water does no good at all!
Also, when you're ordering food, look for kormas and other dishes that are prepared with yogurt, cream or coconut milk. They will generally be less spicy than other dishes, though still be prepared for them to have a kick.
posted by Ziggy500 at 4:47 AM on November 18, 2013
Also, when you're ordering food, look for kormas and other dishes that are prepared with yogurt, cream or coconut milk. They will generally be less spicy than other dishes, though still be prepared for them to have a kick.
posted by Ziggy500 at 4:47 AM on November 18, 2013
Best answer: Seconding lassi to moderate heat if necessary, also look at mughal dishes. You are not going to avoid spiciness, unless you can find a McDonalds somewhere, but chili isn't a given. Ask your hosts/colleagues what food is to your taste and how to order it, get them to write it down so you can show a card. Spices are so ubiquitous that requests to tone it down a bit may still not be enough.
Customer: Have you got anything without spam? Waitress: Well, there's spam, egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
My partner has a garlic intolerance, when she mentions this to the waiting staff in Indian restaurants they look at her with incomprehension. If she can talk to a chef or manager then they can always knock up a custom sauce, they are chefs after all. Explore, if you find something you like then find out what it is.
posted by epo at 5:03 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
Customer: Have you got anything without spam? Waitress: Well, there's spam, egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
My partner has a garlic intolerance, when she mentions this to the waiting staff in Indian restaurants they look at her with incomprehension. If she can talk to a chef or manager then they can always knock up a custom sauce, they are chefs after all. Explore, if you find something you like then find out what it is.
posted by epo at 5:03 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Order anything called "korma" (chicken korma, vegetable korma) as it is very mildly spiced.
Similarly, matar paneer or sag paneer is typically mildly spiced. Fried okra too. And aloo gobi. Have you tried butter chicken? Also mild. Avoid anything stating curry or tandoori.
Order raita (yoghurt with onion) as your side dish and mix it with your food liberally. DO NOT drink water if it is too spicy, this only spreads the spice around. Only milk or other fatty items will cut the heat.
Rice, naan bread will be unspiced.
Bring energy bars from home to keep you going.
Also for dessert - galub jamun or caju rolls. Trust me.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 5:05 AM on November 18, 2013 [6 favorites]
Similarly, matar paneer or sag paneer is typically mildly spiced. Fried okra too. And aloo gobi. Have you tried butter chicken? Also mild. Avoid anything stating curry or tandoori.
Order raita (yoghurt with onion) as your side dish and mix it with your food liberally. DO NOT drink water if it is too spicy, this only spreads the spice around. Only milk or other fatty items will cut the heat.
Rice, naan bread will be unspiced.
Bring energy bars from home to keep you going.
Also for dessert - galub jamun or caju rolls. Trust me.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 5:05 AM on November 18, 2013 [6 favorites]
Best answer: Popping in to say that depending on where you go eating, you can find non-spicy foods on an Indian menu. My first real, sustained exposure to spice occurred while I was there, so I was not used to lighting my mouth afire. Menu items like sweet chicken corn soup and stir-fried rice helped a lot.
Seconding lassi and gulab jamun,even if you're not looking to cool down. Dee-lish.
posted by ditto75 at 5:37 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
Seconding lassi and gulab jamun,even if you're not looking to cool down. Dee-lish.
posted by ditto75 at 5:37 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Oh yeah, and I never really found chicken tikka masala all that spicy.
posted by ditto75 at 5:38 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by ditto75 at 5:38 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Allu chat is basically french fries. Ask them not to put chutney on it.
posted by goethean at 5:40 AM on November 18, 2013
posted by goethean at 5:40 AM on November 18, 2013
Best answer: Rice, cucumber and yogurt are your friends. Water isn't necessarily helpful if you are trying to get round the problem of hot spice.
Personally I've never had problems with hot spicy food on business travels to India. If I did, I'd ask my colleagues to try and choose somewhere/something suitable where I could get something unspicy, like a korma, or butter chicken. Also, watch for the waiter's reaction if you specifically ask for unspicy food - with a little practice you should be able to tell the difference between "I have understood what you have asked and will do something about it" and "I have understood what you asked and am just nodding for the sake of it."
FWIW Indian colleagues of mine who came over to the UK were incredibly fussy about food and generally didn't like going too far off piste. Similarly some of my UK colleagues refused to eat curry and would either eat Subway or equivalent for lunch and/or dine in Western-oriented hotels - i.e. your colleagues may not understand your dislike of hot food but should be able to emphasise both with not wanting things too spicy and the whole business of finding different cuisines challenging.
posted by MuffinMan at 5:41 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
Personally I've never had problems with hot spicy food on business travels to India. If I did, I'd ask my colleagues to try and choose somewhere/something suitable where I could get something unspicy, like a korma, or butter chicken. Also, watch for the waiter's reaction if you specifically ask for unspicy food - with a little practice you should be able to tell the difference between "I have understood what you have asked and will do something about it" and "I have understood what you asked and am just nodding for the sake of it."
FWIW Indian colleagues of mine who came over to the UK were incredibly fussy about food and generally didn't like going too far off piste. Similarly some of my UK colleagues refused to eat curry and would either eat Subway or equivalent for lunch and/or dine in Western-oriented hotels - i.e. your colleagues may not understand your dislike of hot food but should be able to emphasise both with not wanting things too spicy and the whole business of finding different cuisines challenging.
posted by MuffinMan at 5:41 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: the dairy based advice above is perfect. I'll also suggest that you base your meal heavily on rice (most rice dishes have no hot spices) and different breads. I hope you're not on a low-carb diet. Use the spicy dishes in very small quantities to give some flavor and interest to the carbs.
posted by cacao at 5:52 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by cacao at 5:52 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I don't really know much about what they serve at restaurants since when in the Pune area I have mostly visited family, but while still spicy compared to American palates, Maharashtran food is not as spicy as, say Northern foods (tandoori, many curries) or vindaloo. I would stick to local food (bhaji) if you can and don't let people talk you into trying any craziness you think you can't handle. But yea, bread is your friend- careful with dairy because it is treated differently there and could upset your stomach.
Also yea chili isn't a given- all Indian food isn't exactly the same, so read up on different dishes and they're ingredients and try baby steps there. Try some of the chilies at home, just a bit on a spoon, with dairy nearby to neutralize.
posted by sweetkid at 6:03 AM on November 18, 2013
Also yea chili isn't a given- all Indian food isn't exactly the same, so read up on different dishes and they're ingredients and try baby steps there. Try some of the chilies at home, just a bit on a spoon, with dairy nearby to neutralize.
posted by sweetkid at 6:03 AM on November 18, 2013
Best answer: One of the local specialities is thali, a dish made of many breads, chutneys and curries. You should be able to pick and choose what you do and don't want. Indian cuisine, in all it's variety, is one of the finest in the world, if you can't find a mix of stuff you can eat and will enjoy then your hosts are really not trying. There is a Burger King there too.
posted by epo at 6:08 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by epo at 6:08 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You should try to slowly acclimatize, of course, but if you need some comfort food during the transition period, there are multiple Pune locations for KFC, Domino's, Pizza Hut, Subway, McDonald's, and TGI Fridays. (Along with a number of local non-chain equivalents.)
posted by UncleBoomee at 7:16 AM on November 18, 2013
posted by UncleBoomee at 7:16 AM on November 18, 2013
Best answer: You'll probably get used to it, especially when you realize that people in spicy-food cultures do not deny that their food is hot as hell at times-- it's just an acceptable side effect of the flavor.
As for easing the pain in the meantime-- from what I understand, the burning mouth pain is the result of spicy oils coating your tongue and getting stuck there. The only way to get the oils off your tongue is to 1) break it up and dissolve it with something like alcohol or 2) eat something else that absorbs the oil, like rice, dairy, or bread. I've also heard a pinch of table salt on the tongue works too, but I've never gotten very good results that way (and it's not nearly as tasty as beer or food, but YMMV).
posted by Rykey at 7:30 AM on November 18, 2013
As for easing the pain in the meantime-- from what I understand, the burning mouth pain is the result of spicy oils coating your tongue and getting stuck there. The only way to get the oils off your tongue is to 1) break it up and dissolve it with something like alcohol or 2) eat something else that absorbs the oil, like rice, dairy, or bread. I've also heard a pinch of table salt on the tongue works too, but I've never gotten very good results that way (and it's not nearly as tasty as beer or food, but YMMV).
posted by Rykey at 7:30 AM on November 18, 2013
Best answer: Try integrating more spice into your meals more regularly at home. If you're only going to Pune twice a year, a week or two before you depart buy a bottle of hot sauce and start sprinkling a little bit here and there, you can start with a little and adjust upwards. Get a couple kinds (Tabasco is vinegary and not really that spicy, Sriracha is sweet and garlicky...etc) and/or some chili flakes for sprinkling or cayenne powder. Mix it into stir frys or fried rice, or ketchup with your french fries, or on tacos and burritos, chili flakes on your pizza. Feel the burn and get used to it. You will at the very least have more practice and ease with the feeling so you won't be dreading every meal or cringing your way through.
posted by dahliachewswell at 9:04 AM on November 18, 2013
posted by dahliachewswell at 9:04 AM on November 18, 2013
Best answer: I got my husband to like spicy foods when we started dating.
My non-scientific prescription would be as follows. You have 6 months to prepare. Salsa, in the US, is a convenient, shelf stable food/condiment with gradations of heat. I'm thinking of this like how people can adapt to food allergies very slowly over time.
Start with a jar of mild salsa. Maybe have a tablespoon or two at first. On eggs in the morning? Start small, then ramp up. Get acclimatized to the spice. Get to the point where you can have a small bowl of salsa with chips. Then move onto a medium jar. Then a hot. I think part of the key is making this a very regular, if not daily, thing. Part of this might be the worry about something blowing your spicy limit, making the situation worse in your mind than it is in reality.
posted by fontophilic at 10:04 AM on November 18, 2013
My non-scientific prescription would be as follows. You have 6 months to prepare. Salsa, in the US, is a convenient, shelf stable food/condiment with gradations of heat. I'm thinking of this like how people can adapt to food allergies very slowly over time.
Start with a jar of mild salsa. Maybe have a tablespoon or two at first. On eggs in the morning? Start small, then ramp up. Get acclimatized to the spice. Get to the point where you can have a small bowl of salsa with chips. Then move onto a medium jar. Then a hot. I think part of the key is making this a very regular, if not daily, thing. Part of this might be the worry about something blowing your spicy limit, making the situation worse in your mind than it is in reality.
posted by fontophilic at 10:04 AM on November 18, 2013
Best answer: I've heard south Indian food is much spicier than north Indian cuisine. I don't know if it's true, but if so, even if Pune is in south India (sorry, don't know the geography of India), perhaps you can find north Indian restaurants? Also seconding dairy products and acclimation.
posted by Blitz at 11:07 AM on November 18, 2013
posted by Blitz at 11:07 AM on November 18, 2013
Best answer: The above advice is very good, and I will add that you can also ask for the children's menu when in restaurants. They usually have the mildest things /milder versions of dhal, sag aloo, butter chicken etc.
posted by goo at 11:13 AM on November 18, 2013
posted by goo at 11:13 AM on November 18, 2013
Best answer: Also, please don't go to Subway or Burger King there unless it's life and death.
posted by Blitz at 11:15 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Blitz at 11:15 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I feel your pain, my time in India was miserable, because of the food.
Look, spices are great, the problem isn't too many spices. Let's be clear, the problem is too much pepper!
The suggestion for lassi is good (but I never tried one, they're made with ice and I avoided all such-like since I didn't want to get sick. You know, don't drink the water.)
I survived on bananas, the little one for sale in the street.
posted by Rash at 12:02 PM on November 18, 2013
Look, spices are great, the problem isn't too many spices. Let's be clear, the problem is too much pepper!
The suggestion for lassi is good (but I never tried one, they're made with ice and I avoided all such-like since I didn't want to get sick. You know, don't drink the water.)
I survived on bananas, the little one for sale in the street.
posted by Rash at 12:02 PM on November 18, 2013
Best answer: Pune is in south India (sorry, don't know the geography of India)
It's not south, it's Western ( in Maharashtra, south of Mumbai but not Goa).
It's a college town so like I said I'm not SURE sure b/c I mostly visited family there and have not been on a work trip but they should have a lot of restaurant variety like college towns do.
Here are some I found from TripAdvisor.
posted by sweetkid at 12:20 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's not south, it's Western ( in Maharashtra, south of Mumbai but not Goa).
It's a college town so like I said I'm not SURE sure b/c I mostly visited family there and have not been on a work trip but they should have a lot of restaurant variety like college towns do.
Here are some I found from TripAdvisor.
posted by sweetkid at 12:20 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you all! Some great suggestions. I have begun to collect all your tips, and I have created a "cheat sheet" of mild-er dishes to take with me on my next trip.
posted by alchemist at 5:16 AM on November 20, 2013
posted by alchemist at 5:16 AM on November 20, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by peacheater at 4:20 AM on November 18, 2013 [6 favorites]