Spicy, Spicy, Hot, Chili, Inflation, and the Psychosocial Condition of the Nation
Tauhid Nur Azhar
There is a journalistic reporting activity from a leading national daily that was given the title; Exploring Sambal Nusantara. This is interesting. Why sambal? And why can sambal, which is identical with the spicy taste, be found in almost all Nusantara culinary traditions? Why do Nusantara people need a spicy taste? What’s with sambal and the chili content in it that has quickly become an integral part of culture and customs?
Isn’t the spicy taste actually part of the pain that afflicts the sensory nerve network and the sensory association area in our brain? Isn’t chili itself only known in Nusantara culinary traditions starting from the 16th century? This is if we talk about chili that has been domesticated from the wild shrub Capsicum annuum L, which is included in the family Solanaceae, genus Capsicum, and order Solanace.
But don’t be mistaken, long before that, Nusantara culinary treasures had already known various ingredients that had high levels of spiciness. Where the spiciness scale itself can be measured scientifically using the Scoville method, which is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). SHU itself is measured by referring to how much sugar water is needed to dissolve the capsaicin compound, which is the active ingredient that triggers the spicy taste in chili, until the spicy taste disappears.
For example, the chili that is currently considered the hottest in the world is the Carolina Reaper, which has an average spiciness level of 1,569,300 to 2,200,000 SHU. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, the local chili family that has a high level of spiciness includes Katokkon from Toraja.
Endemic spicy agents that are native to Indonesia include Cabai Jamu, Javanese chili, or cabe puyang (Piper retrofractum). Different from red chili or rawit, cabai jamu comes from the genus Piper, which also includes pepper. The fruit is small, long, and has many seeds. The color of the fruit changes from green to red or black when ripe.
Cabe Jawa is often used as an ingredient in traditional medicine because it is believed to have health benefits, especially for relieving coughs and increasing stamina. In addition, the taste is spicy and slightly bitter, suitable for adding to several dishes.
Then there is Lada (Piper nigrum), also known as Sahang (in Kalimantan), or in Indonesian, often referred to as merica. Lada is a climbing plant that produces small, round, dry fruit. Black pepper and white pepper are obtained from this plant, with differences in the processing of the fruit.
Lada is a main spice in Indonesian cuisine, giving a characteristic spicy taste. Black pepper is often used in meat dishes, while white pepper is common in soups or dishes with broth.
Next, in North Sumatra, there is Andaliman (Zanthoxylum acanthopodium) or Batak Pepper. Andaliman is a type of spice that is famous in Batak cuisine, especially in dishes like arsik and sambal andaliman. The fruit is small, green, and turns red when ripe. The spicy taste is characteristic, with a numbing sensation on the tongue. Andaliman gives a spicy taste with a numbing effect on the tongue, often used in North Sumatran cuisine. In addition to being a cooking spice, andaliman is also believed to have natural antiseptic properties.
Now, the local species Cabe Cakra (Capsicum baccatum) is also known, where cabe cakra or baccatum is not a common type of chili in Indonesia, but is starting to be known and cultivated. The shape of the fruit is varied and has a fairly strong spicy taste.
Several varieties of this chili are starting to become popular in cuisine that requires a unique aroma and spicy taste. In addition to being eaten fresh, this chili can also be dried or made into powder.
As a spicy agent with an SHU value of up to 600,000, there is Cabe Katokkon (Capsicum chinense), another is Cabe Habanero or Cabe Banggai. Cabe Katokkon is one of the varieties of chili found in the Sulawesi region, especially in Tana Toraja. The shape is slightly different from rawit chili, because it is more rounded and larger. The taste is very spicy, approaching the taste of habanero. Usually used in traditional Torajan cuisine, especially for making sambal or spicy dishes. The high level of spiciness makes it one of the chilies that is very much liked by spicy food enthusiasts, especially the people of Tana Toraja and its surroundings.
In the Indonesian culinary treasure, we can find many uses of chili and spicy agents with high capsaicin content. It’s common if we visit a region and taste its culinary offerings, there will be a sambal dish that accompanies it. For example, sambal Tuk Tuk in Batak culinary traditions with its andaliman content, or sambal Bongkot in Balinese culinary traditions that are enriched with flavor and aroma by the presence of Bongkot or Kecombrang in it. Sambal with kecombrang can also be found in North Tapanuli culinary traditions, called sambal Rias.
While sambal with various types of fermented crustacean or fish products can be found in Sumatra and Kalimantan, there is sambal Belacan, sambal terasi, sambal Bekasang, sambal Roa, and sambal Kaluku, all of which use fish and seafood products. It’s no wonder that our marine potential is very abundant and extraordinary.
There are also many unique ingredients in the Nusantara sambal tradition that are difficult to find in other countries, such as the use of fermented durian products known as Tempoyak, as one of the ingredients in sambal that is widely consumed in South Sumatra.
The next question that arises is, why does the spicy taste become something exotic? We seek and enjoy it even though we are fully aware that it hurts. Are we actually masochists who crave the pain of sensation in order to feel the comfort of the aftermath? Isn’t a lump of sugar that is sweet a contrast when paired with a cup of bitter coffee? Is it really like that?
The spicy or hot or painful sensation with a limited scale is often attributed to the active ingredient Capsaicin. Capsaicin is a chemical compound found in chili peppers, and several other species that produce a spicy taste, including in the capsaicinoids group and known as one of the vanilil compounds, similar to the structure of phenol with a long chain that binds to the amide group.
As an active compound, capsaicin has a unique chemical attraction, because it can bind directly to certain nerve receptors. In the human body, this interaction occurs on receptors called transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1), which usually mediates responses to heat and burns. Activating this receptor creates a sensation that resembles burning heat, triggering the nervous system to give a reflexive response, ranging from sweating to increased heart rate.
Capsaicin begins its journey in the TRPV receptors located in the membranes of sensory nerve cells. Once capsaicin binds to TRPV1, the ion channels on the receptor open, allowing Na+ and Ca2+ ions to enter the neuron. This activation causes a change in electrical potential that is transmitted as a pain signal to the spinal cord and brain. From here, the sensation of pain is felt, but behind it, our body also releases a “cure” in the form of endorphins.
The impact felt on the brain is not just pain. This is where capsaicin plays a complex role in neuropsychology. When the pain receptors are activated, the brain responds by releasing endorphins; a chemical that is often referred to as the hormone of happiness.
Endorphins function to reduce the sensation of pain and produce euphoria, a feeling that may explain why many people are addicted to the sensation of chili. In addition to endorphins, dopamine is also released, adding a dimension of happiness due to its influence on the brain’s reward system. The sensation of satisfaction that follows the consumption of chili is no different from the response to other enjoyable experiences, such as exercise or achieving a certain goal.
Several studies have shown that regular exposure to capsaicin can affect neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to change and adapt.
Continuous activation of the TRPV1 receptor in the long term can reduce sensitivity to pain. This is thought to be related to the mechanism of nerve desensitization, which gradually adapts to repeated stimulation. Even the topical use of capsaicin has been applied in the treatment of certain chronic pain disorders, such as post-herpetic neuralgia and diabetic neuropathy.
According to experts such as Caterina and Julius (2001), the TRPV1 receptor activated by capsaicin is the gateway to many important molecular pathways in the brain. Their research has become a crucial foundation for understanding the potential of capsaicin in pain therapy and even in certain mood disorders.
Other pharmacology experts, such as Szallasi and Blumberg (1999), emphasize that capsaicin offers a unique pharmacological approach, because it can work on different pathways from most conventional analgesics.
The phenomenon of the spicy sensation from a biopsychological perspective brings us to the perspective that eating chili may be more than just a cultural habit, but a simple form of therapy in everyday life. From a scientific perspective, the consumption of chili that triggers the release of happiness hormones can be a natural stress reliever that is easily accessible, especially for communities that live in high psychological and social pressure.
The question is, can the level of psychological stress be described from the fluctuations and dynamics of chili consumption? Isn’t it interesting?
It cannot be denied that the level of chili consumption has a significant contribution in the economic context of the fiscal sector. The tradition of spicy food that is indicated by the presence of various sambal, ranging from sambal Lado Mudo in western Indonesia to sambal Colo-Colo in eastern Indonesia, shows us the importance of the presence of chili in the dynamics of our social life.
Even at certain times, chili can contribute to the rate of inflation through the mechanism of demand pull. The scientific question that arises is, is there a relationship between the increase in the level of demand for chili and various psychological conditions of the nation? Outside of the issues of supply chains and production processes, but there are times when the demand for chili products increases. Does this condition have a triggering factor? Of course, it’s not?
Data from the National Food Agency (Bapanas) shows that in 2023, the average consumption of chili per capita reached 2.42 kilograms per year, an increase of 4.3% compared to 2022. The consumption of rawit chili also showed an increase, reaching 569,650 tons in 2022, up 7.86% from the previous year.
Meanwhile, according to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), national chili production in 2020 reached 2.77 million tons, an increase of 7.11% compared to 2019. West Java province became the largest producer with a contribution of 18.72% of national production.
It is also recorded that the increase in chili prices often becomes a major contributor to inflation in Indonesia. In November 2023, BPS reported an inflation rate of 0.38% on a monthly basis, with rawit chili and red chili contributing to inflation of 0.16% and 0.08%, respectively. Factors such as extreme weather, distribution disruptions, and increased demand can cause fluctuations in chili prices, which in turn affect the inflation rate. If we eliminate the factors of production disruptions and decreased supply, then the increase in demand can become an interesting observation point. Indeed, in the context of culture, there are certain moments that make the demand for chili increase, such as during holidays where chili consumption increases along with the increase in overall food consumption in the context of feasts and celebrations.
But of course, there is still an opportunity to delve deeper into the phenomenon of spicy chili consumption, in relation to its role as a natural social therapy that becomes one of the coping methods for managing stress that comes from the dynamics of psychosocial conditions. Maybe, hypothetically, the stress can come from economic, political, or lifestyle changes, etc.
Perhaps by studying the dynamics of chili demand, we can analyze the dynamics of psychosocial stress in society along with various variables from the triggering factors. Isn’t it?
Enjoy your meal with spicy chili, pete bakar, and a bowl of hot rice.
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