What do humans and Asian tree shrews have in common? We are the only two mammals known to tolerate the burn of capsaicin – the active chemical compound responsible for making chilli peppers spicy hot.

An extraordinary 57.3 million tons of chilli peppers are consumed globally each year. We explore the evolutionary biology, neuroscience, psychology, and archaeology to explain why the chilli pepper has become one of the widest cultivated spice crops in the world.

Video Journalist: Clayton Conn
Commissioning Editor: Griesham Taan



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