Ingredients in chili increase your heartbeat, clear the sinuses and your mouth becomes irritated as evidenced by a burning sensation. This causes your brain to respond by creating endorphins, natural painkillers that are a part of body's self--defense. This causes you to experience a feeling of euphoria giving new meaning to the nickname "Chili Head"
International Chili Society - ICS, the Ultimate Chili Cookoff Organization
The History of Chili - by H. Allen Smith, the first ICS World's Chili Champion in 1967
The Real History of Chili - Brought to us by the ICS
The Chile Gallery - Photos and descriptions of peppers
World Chili Championship Recipes - 1967 to present
The hottest known chile is the hardener, grown mainly on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico
The Spaniards likened the pungency of chiles to black pepper, and called them pimienta , or pepper in English
Washing your hands with a mild bleach solution will help remove the burning from skin which has come into contact with chiles
Chiles contain substantial amounts of vitamins A and C