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From: dan@rna.UUCP (Dan Ts'o)
Newsgroups: net.cooks
Subject: Re: zapping pepper oil & MSG
Message-ID: <408@rna.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 9-Jun-85 20:55:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: rna.408
Posted: Sun Jun  9 20:55:46 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Jun-85 06:55:14 EDT
Organization: Rockefeller Neurobiology
Lines: 16

In article <decwrl.2395> kolling@decwrl.UUCP writes:
>
>The local newspaper's food section claims that if you get hot pepper oil
>on your hands, it can be neutralized with a weak solution of water and
>chlorine bleach, to avoid later zapping your eyes or contact lenses.

>That sounds drastic. How about a solution of good old baking soda?

	Does sound drastic... The basic substance of "hotness" in pepper oil
and many other hot items is capsacin. Capsacin is lipid soluble, not water
soluble. So water by itself is not very effective in removing it. Try some-
thing with more lipid in it, like milk, or oil. This is also why yogurt is
an effective quencher served at indian restaurants.
	Since some chili's seem to be based on vinegars (e.g. vietnamese
chili sauce, pickled jalapeno peppers, I would guess that acidity improves
the solubility of capsacin.