Chili and pepper both feel spicy on the tongue. However, Sichuan pepper, andaliman, or Batak pepper have a different sensation. Researchers have discovered how Sichuan pepper causes a ‘tingling’ feeling in the mouth.
Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum piperitum) grows throughout China and the Himalayas. The seeds of this plant are often added to foods in the region. On the lips, Sichuan pepper feels tingling and numbing, similar to a mild electric shock.
Previous research said that the active ingredient that causes the tingling feeling in Sichuan pepper is a chemical called sanshool. Other chemicals, such as menthol and capsaicin in chili peppers, activate sensors on the tongue that detect hot and cold. Although research has found that sanshool activates the nerves that sense touch, the mechanism is not yet known.
Nobuhiro Hagura, a cognitive neuroscientist at University College London, and his team conducted research to uncover this mystery. They put Sichuan pepper on the lips of 28 men. After a few minutes, their lips went numb and felt tingly.
As published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers then used a machine to mechanically vibrate participants’ fingers. They then asked whether the vibration frequency in the fingers was faster or slower than the tickling sensation on the lips.
It turned out that the pepper caused a sensation of around 50 vibrations per second, which corresponds to the frequency felt by nerves that feel a light touch on the skin. Sichuan pepper doesn’t add much flavor to food, so according to Hagura, its main attraction must be its sensation on the skin or lips.
According to Hagura, these findings could expand understanding of how signals in the skin are translated into complex touch sensations in the brain. “We can understand how the quality of touch can change the taste we taste,” said Hagura, as reported by the Huffington Post (11/09/13).
This is the reason Andaliman stings more on the lips than pepper
Chili and pepper both feel spicy on the tongue. However, Sichuan pepper, andaliman, or Batak pepper have a different sensation. Researchers have discovered how Sichuan pepper causes a ‘tingling’ feeling in the mouth.
Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum piperitum) grows throughout China and the Himalayas. The seeds of this plant are often added to foods in the region. On the lips, Sichuan pepper feels tingly and numb, similar to a mild electric shock.
Previous research said that the active ingredient that causes the tingling feeling in Sichuan pepper is a chemical called sanshool. Other chemicals, such as menthol and capsaicin in chili peppers, activate sensors on the tongue that detect hot and cold. Although research has found that sanshool activates the nerves that sense touch, the mechanism is not yet known.
Nobuhiro Hagura, a cognitive neuroscientist at University College London, and his team conducted research to uncover this mystery. They put Sichuan pepper on the lips of 28 men. After a few minutes, their lips went numb and felt tingly.
As published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers then used a machine to mechanically vibrate participants’ fingers. They then asked whether the vibration frequency in the fingers was faster or slower than the tickling sensation on the lips.
It turned out that the pepper caused a sensation of around 50 vibrations per second, which corresponds to the frequency felt by nerves that feel a light touch on the skin. Sichuan pepper doesn’t add much flavor to food, so according to Hagura, its main attraction must be its sensation on the skin or lips.
According to Hagura, these findings could expand understanding of how signals in the skin are translated into complex touch sensations in the brain. “We can understand how the quality of touch can change the taste we taste,” said Hagura, as reported by the Huffington Post (11/09/13).
source: https://food.detik.com/info-kuliner/d-2362638/inilah-alasan-andaliman-besar-menyengat-di-bibir-dibesar-merica.