17 Struggles People Who Love Spicy Food but Can't Take the Heat Will Understand
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Some legends say Latinos can eat the spiciest of food without hesitating a bit, but I'm here to tell you that's far from true — at least for me. Don't get me wrong, I love spicy food (ugh, do I love it?!), but my palette is simply not capable of taking the fire without making my eyes tear, my nose run, and my throat hurt just a little. Has that ever stopped me? No. But would I necessarily say I can eat any and all chili-pepper-infused dishes? No way.
So when friends and family laugh at my need for a tissue as I eat everything from eggs to tacos to rice doused with a heavy serving of hot sauce, I smile and keep going. I'm not about to dump a meal because it's slowly burning my soul with its flavor, and that's determination only a true lover of spiciness would understand. Scroll ahead for 17 more moments you've probably faced as a spicy-food-lover who can't take the heat.
You Know That First Bite of Spicy Food Is the Most Glorious
Ugh, spicy food is so damn good!
Because a Few Bites in, You're Going to Feel the Heat
"Oh, I feel it. Oh, sh*t, OK, that's spicy, but yum!"
And Once That Happens, It's Time to Eat Faster
It's a race against the spicy clock, people! Heat builds up.
You Love Spicy Drinks Because They're the Perfect Balance of Refreshing and Hot
Micheladas, jalapeño margaritas, bloody Marys — I want them all.
You Know Exactly What Hot Sauce Hits the Right Level of Manageable Spicy Levels
Tapatío and Cholula: OK. El Yucateco and anything with ghost peppers: not OK at all.
But Every Once in a While, You Reach For a Different Sauce
"I can do this. I love spicy food. No problem."
That's When You Start Crying and Maybe Even Sweating a Bit
"What is this and how can people eat it? What the what?"
If Someone Tells the Waiter That When You Said Extra Spicy You Really Didn't Mean It, We Have War
Mind your own business, please and thank you.
When Someone Sees You Crying Mid-Spicy Meal and Says Maybe You Should Stop Eating
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
All that Judging Makes Spicy Takeout the Best Thing Ever
I'm home eating and crying, and you can't stare at me and ask over and over again why I do this to myself.