All fired up about chillies

It is that time of year when chilli peppers come into their own and begin to ripen to an intense deep red and get really, really hot.

Once upon a time, hot chillies were solely the preference of those with a taste for Indian or Mexican cuisine, but today it’s fair to say that chillies are a staple ingredient in everything from sauces, to cocktails to chocolate.

However, if you are not sensitive to chillies, remember that dairy products such as milk, sour cream, yoghurt or cottage cheese will help cool off the inferno caused by the compound capsaicin, contained in the white membrane of chillies. Dairy products contain casein, a protein contained in milk, which binds to the capsaicinoid molecules and washes it away, alleviating the burning sensation.