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How spicy is spicy?

From Tom Kha to Narok: What spice levels 0 to 5 mean, why water doesn't help with heat, and how to tame a dish that’s too spicy.

4 Min. Lesezeit

Getrocknete und frische Chilis vor violettem Hintergrund

Heat is not a quality that you simply have or don't have. It is a scale, and those who know where they stand on it cook more relaxed. That is why every variety we offer carries a heat level from 0 to 5. What the numbers mean, and what you can do if it turns out to be too much.

Heat is not a taste

You perceive sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami via taste receptors. Heat, however, is not. Capsaicin, the substance in chili, irritates a nerve that is actually responsible for temperature and pain. Your mouth is therefore not reporting a taste, but heat.

This leads to two conclusions. First: Heat cannot be tasted away, only masked or diluted. Second: Water does not help. Capsaicin is fat-soluble; water merely spreads it around in your mouth. What actually helps is described below.

  • 0 to 5Levels, stated on every label
  • 23Varieties, distributed across all six levels
  • 2Varieties are at level 5

The six levels

0 to 1: For everyone at the table

Tom Kha and the Som Tam dressing have no perceptible heat, while Pad Thai and Nam Jim Gai provide barely more than a hint of it. Here, it is not the chili that carries the dish, but galangal, tamarind, or palm sugar. Good if children are eating with you.

2: Noticeable, but friendly

Massaman is the best example. The paste is characterized by Indian and Persian spices; cardamom and cinnamon are in the foreground, with the chili merely providing the frame. If you are discovering Thai cuisine, this is a great place to start.

3: Everyday life in Thailand

The largest group. Phanaeng, Khao Soi, the yellow curry paste, and Pad Krapao fall in this range. It is clearly spicy, but the heat remains in the background, leaving room for the other ingredients. This is the level at which most dishes are actually served in Thailand.

4: Things get serious

Red and green curry paste both fall here, and yes, the green one is traditionally the spicier of the two in Thailand. Its name, Gaeng Kiao Wan, means sweet green curry, which refers to the color and the coconut milk, not a mild character. Tadaeng and Pao Sap also belong to this class.

5: Narok

Narok means hell in Thai. The name says it all and is no exaggeration. Together with the Southern Thai Gaeng Som, this chili paste forms the peak. Neither is eaten by the spoonful in Thailand; rather, they are served in small amounts alongside rice. That is exactly how you should use them, too.

Level 5 is not a test of courage, but a question of dosage.

If it has become too spicy

Four things really work, and in this order:

  1. Fat. Coconut milk, yogurt, or a splash of cream binds the capsaicin. This is the fastest way back.
  2. Sweetness. A teaspoon of palm sugar takes the edge off the heat without making the dish sweet.
  3. Acidity. Lime or tamarind redirect the perception and make the whole thing fresh again.
  4. Quantity. More rice, more vegetables, more coconut milk. Diluting is inelegant, but it always works.

At the table, the same principle applies: rice, yogurt, or a dairy drink help, whereas water and beer generally do not.

The better way: approach from below

Heat can be added, but hardly taken back. The first time you use a new variety, use about half the amount you intended, and season to taste at the end. One jar is enough for about ten portions, so you have plenty of opportunities to work your way up.

And if a variety is permanently too spicy for your table: the heat level is on every label before you buy. That is exactly what the number is there for.