if you're someone with abysmally low spice tolerance for non-medical reasons I really do highly recommend working on building that spice tolerance
That used to be me. I'm peer reviewed self diagnosed autistic and for the life of me I could not handle anything hotter than ground pepper, and even that was pushing it. the heat from any hot spices was really overwhelming and it made it hard to enjoy the flavor. Now I am able to eat things like mild curry and spiced orange chicken and Mac and cheese with pepper jack and eggs with chili oil and those potato fries that are a bit spicy. It took several years but I got there and it's very worth it because it allowed my palate to expand. It gave me new ways of enjoying vegetables that I could not stand. it introduced me to foods that are the perfect texture for me (curry!!! I love you curry!!!). It made me less afraid to try new foods from cuisines known for being spicy, and made me braver about asking for mild spice levels at restaurants.
I built up my spice tolerance by always having a cooling thing with dinner. A glass of milk or ice water usually. I would often go through multiple glasses of it for half a serving size of the spicy food. but that was okay, as long as I liked what I was eating.
this part is key. don't force yourself to try hot spice flavors on food you know you don't like. if Mac and cheese is your safe food, add teeny tiny bits of chili spice at a time. if it's curry then adjust the recipe or add spices like half a teaspoon at a time to the pot. if it's ramen, get a thing of spicy ramen and add maybe like One drop of the spice packet they give you. and so and and so forth for whatever your safe food is. only add more once you can eat it without crying from the heat (NO SHAME!!! SPICE HURTS AND HUMANS ARE FREAKS!!! YOU CAN CRY ITS FINE!!!). if it takes a while that's okay! I think it took about a year for me to graduate from the first tiny bit to the next tiny bit.
being able to make the food yourself is key when first starting this. it's harder when you get take out because the spice levels aren't in your control. you can try building up your spice tolerance with takeout once you can add a bit less than the normal amount of spice to your food without crying.
another key is to allow yourself a solid chunk of time to enjoy the new level of spice tolerance once you do get used to it. if you're always pushing the spice tolerance nonstop, you'll start to associate it even more with pain, which can set you back. once you can stand the spicy chicken nuggets/mild curry/lightly spiced ramen, whatever it is, enjoy it. savor it! look for the flavors around the spice, and of the spice. notice how the burn is now just a little tingle. isn't it great? hang out there for a while! let your brain get used to that enjoyment, let it form a baseline feeling and sensation for Tolerable Spice. then start pushing it again.
get creative with it too. you can always order takeout that is not spicy and add the spice yourself. or you can get take out that is spicy and eat tiny bits of it at a time. Follow what works for you and learn to identify what's something that's uncomfortable but that you can sit with if you have enjoyable flavors and textures, and a backup food to wash out the spice. Learn to identify what is too much, not just uncomfortable but intolerable. Try different foods and cuisines and cooking techniques as you go. I fucking hate cauliflower on its own but I will eat it if you put it in a cheese and potato bake, and spice actually really helps make the cauliflower better.
trying other strong spices and stuff also helped me a lot. some spices that are not Hot necessarily that you can use with other hot spices or that are powerful and can be used to help desensitize your taste buds to intense flavors in small amounts:
- paprika (small amounts!!!!)
- saffron
- ginger
- onion powder
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- bay leaf
- spiced/herbal salts or crystal candies
food is wonderful if you can eat it, and it's always a journey too. your life is better with spices! it's worth the effort to try, to take those baby steps! there's so many foods you will enjoy once you can tolerate the spice. It's a difficult path but it doesn't have to be miserable. have fun with it and punch anyone who makes fun of you for being spice intolerant while you're trying to build it up. all progress is worthy, even if it takes a long time! and of course if you have medical reasons for not being able to do this that is absolutely okay. your health comes first.
some things you might discover that may be a sign to stop trying to build spice intolerance and reassess:
- allergic reactions to certain spices (numb mouth, scratchy throat, swelling in throat or face, diarrhea or stomach pain shortly after, rashes, etc)
- extreme burning sensation with even the smallest most incorporated amount of the spice, is not helped by milk or water, takes a long time to go away, happens the exact same way and lasts the same amount of time every time
- a flare up of other symptoms that don't seem to be related, but always happens when you consume that spice
- an increase in ARFID symptoms or other related struggles with eating
good luck and I love you! eat food! enjoy life! peace on planet earth!
