Unraveling the Science of Spiciness and Sensory Perception

Today, we talk about spicy food and its intersection with pleasure and pain as part of our "Taste Buddies" series — Short Wave's ode to "taste." In this episode, Host Emily Kwong talks to food reporter Ruth Tam and researchers Julie Yu and Nadia Byrnes about the science behind our love for spicy foods and what drives some of us to seek out the pain.

Follow Emily on Twitter @EmilyKwong1234. You can email Short Wave at ShortWave@NPR.org.

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