Wasabi: the Doomed Condiment with a Distinct Kick

The distinguishable kick of wasabi

Wasabi is distinct from chili peppers and black pepper by its fleeting heat in the mouth and kick that reaches the nose. Here's what happens when you take a bite of a burrito full of pickled jalapeño (or a steak seasoned with black pepper): capsaicin (or piperine) binds to the pain receptors in your tongue and mouth. Because the chemicals can go through the cell walls of your oral cavity easily, they trigger more receptors and cause a long-lasting feeling of heat. On the other hand, a different chemical in grated wasabi comes into play when you take a bite of the salmon sashimi dipped into wasabi soy sauce. While some allyl mustard oil molecules bind to another type of pain receptors in your mouth, most of them quickly evaporate and travel through your nasal passage and stimulates the receptors in your nose. Even the kick in your nose is fleeting (but sharp) due to the volatile nature of allyl mustard oil.