The most spicy when fighting enemies

Researchers at the University of Washington found that the chilliness of chili would increase in proportion to the amount of enemies it had to deal with like insects, fungi parasitic in the left. On the contrary, the chili flavor will soften if there is no danger.

To get the spicy flavor, add a handful of insects and a little mushroom - an explanation by Washington University researchers about the spicy origin of chilli.

According to them, chili peppers are also a mechanism to protect the seed against the attack of pests. This is also one of the ways to prevent the development of some Fusarium parasitic fungi (fungi that damage plants).

Fruits that contain lots of nutrients such as peppers often attract birds, they eat fruit and then accidentally help spread seeds away.

Not only birds but also parasitic insects and fungi like this fruit, and their massive attack is harmful to chili. Pests often punch holes in chilli to eat, then the fungus parasites left inside through wormhole feeding to harm the seed.

When studying wild plants, the researchers found that the chilliness of chili would increase in proportion to the amount of enemies it had to deal with: the more pests they attacked, the more spicy peppers, if like the appearance of fungal parasites in the left, its taste will be even more spicy. And vice versa, chili taste will calm down if there is no danger.

Chili is not the only plant that can protect itself by increasing its taste. When the tomato fruit is growing, the tomato plant also creates a taste to chase away the enemy and to help protect the fruit and seeds until ripe. However, in tomatoes, this protection ends when the fruit ripens. But chili can always maintain the spicy flavor (because birds, partners help disperse chili seed) not sensitive to spicy.