Re: I am really confused

Personally I would be really careful with statements like "mustard [...] and other hot and exciting substances." To me this indicates that he has not done much research. I have. If you "burn" your tongue using mustard or garlic, it will remain sore for days, which I think is the sign of a true and relatively severe chemical injury. If, on the other hand, you use hot peppers, even habañeros, to achieve the same intense burning sensation on your tongue, the pain will go away completely within minutes. An hour after the incident, your tongue will look and feel good as new. I don't want to mix too much of my theories in here, lest I make the same mistake as the author whose sloppiness I'm attacking, so let me just say that I consider the term "hot and exciting substances" just about as useful as "anything that might not feel good right away."