LOVERS of spicy food who are seeking new kicks will appreciate the work of Christophe Galopin of Givaudan Flavour Research in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Galopin has isolated the chemical group responsible for the tingling effect of Szechuan pepper, which feels like tiny bubbles popping on the tongue. It鈥檚 caused by a compound called sanshool, which also tastes pungent, so Galopin synthesised a range of compounds similar to sanshool and got an expert taster to rate them. The simplest compound that just created the tingle contained two carbon double bonds separated by two single bonds, with an amine group on one end, he told the American Chemical Society meeting in Boston this week. Nobody knows why this group creates the characteristic sensation, but Galopin says it almost certainly binds to a particular touch receptor. He鈥檚 developed a powdered compound containing the group that could one day be added to foods.