Pungency

Pungency, commonly referred to as spiciness, hotness or heat, is a sensation that contributes to the flavor of certain foods such as chili peppers. Highly pungent foods may be experienced as unpleasant. The term piquancy is sometimes applied to foods with a lower degree of pungency that are "agreeably stimulating to the palate".

In addition to chili peppers, piquant ingredients include wasabi, horseradish and mustard.
The primary substances responsible for pungency are capsaicin, piperine and allyl isothiocyanate.

Back to Wellness & Storage →

Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

SPICESMASALA

Your guide to Indian spices, masalas, and cooking with flavor.

Get new guides by emailOccasional emails. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

InformationAbout Contact Privacy Policy Terms of Service Disclaimer Affiliate Disclosure Cookie Policy

Every species, image, fact, and figure is drawn from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, used under public-domain and Creative Commons licenses. No content is AI-generated.