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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexicans love their chile, and while they may argue red versus green, some agree the hotter the pepper the better.

National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show

Attendees can sample super-hot and tasty salsas, savory barbecue sauces, marinades, rubs and even spicy desserts this weekend at the National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show.

WHEN: Friday-Sunday

HOURS: 4-8 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Sandia Resort and Casino, 30 Rainbow Road

TICKETS: General admission at the door is $15 for adults, $5 for children, cash only (credit cards accepted at Ticketmaster counter inside casino). Children under 6 attend for free. Advance tickets are sold on Ticketmaster.

Scientists have always wondered why people like eating chile when the spicy pepper causes the body pain. Is it something in our bodies that keep us dipping into the salsa long after the burn has hit? Or is it psychological?

Scientists have isolated the molecule in chile that causes burning: capsaicin. Capsaicin in chile isn’t something tasted, but rather something the body registers through receptors separate from our taste buds. When they go off, the receptors tell the body something is burning and should be avoided.

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Animals recognize this sensation, from dogs to pigs to rats, and avoid spicy food. Only rats that have been genetically bred with no capsaicin receptors could be conditioned to prefer chile.

Humans, on the other hand, can actually enjoy the burning sensation.

Many theories address why humans would choose that – most recently author John McQuaid, whose book “Tasty: The Art and Science of What We Eat” came out from Simon and Schuster earlier this year.

His book comes just as the Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show is set to open in Albuquerque this weekend, expected to draw 20,000 people to Albuquerque’s Sandia Resort and Casino.

In addition to McQuaid, the Journal turned to noted local chile enthusiasts to weigh in on the hot debate, including Jane Butel, a chef and author of several southwestern cookbooks, and Dave DeWitt, founder of the Fiery Foods show.

Why do we do it?

Basically, “humans are just weird,” says McQuaid, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who dedicated a whole chapter in his book to chile.

McQuaid examined several scientific studies and found there’s not one evolutionary or biological reason why humans savor spicy foods.

“We like things we shouldn’t like,” McQuaid said in a phone interview. “It falls into the realm of human psychology and culture.”

McQuaid points to research by Dr. Paul Rozin, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania who started studying chile in the 1970s. He’s the one who discovered dogs and rats can’t be conditioned to prefer chile-laced foods.

Rozin also fed chile-flavored corn snacks to two different populations – Mexican villagers, who grew up eating spicy dishes, and Americans. The researcher asked the participants to rate their optimal chile flavor.

The level of hotness each person was able to handle varied, but Rozin was surprised to learn participants found the optimal level of spiciness was just a little less spicy than chile that caused unbearable pain.

Rozin theorizes people enjoy eating chile because we’re thrill seekers and are playing with the balance between pain and pleasure in our brains.

Plenty of research exists on the relationship between pain and pleasure and pain and relief, but how chile directly impacts those parts of our brains is still being explored.

What is the thrill?

DeWitt, a food historian, believes thrill-seeking has something to do it.

“People love the adventure of eating something when you’re not quite sure what it’s going to do to you,” DeWitt said.

DeWitt also points to cultural reasons that locals relish in eating chile.

“Chile is part of our lifestyle here. It’s nostalgic in the smell of the air when roasting chiles. It’s what makes up the culture of New Mexico,” DeWitt said.

But Butel believes there’s an emotional aspect to eating chile, too, and one that differs between the sexes.

The chef and author said she’s noticed that men have a more daring approach to eating chile in that they’re competing with each other to bear the pain of the hotter chile.

“They’re able to do that because they don’t feel the heat as much as women do. A study has shown they have fewer capsaicin receptors in their palates,” Butel said.

DeWitt has seen the same phenomenon at his show, which runs this Friday through Sunday.

DeWitt said it’s always the most extreme chile at the show that receives the most attention from men.

In search of the hottest

There’s sure to be a line around PuckerButt Pepper Company’s booth. The company lists the world’s hottest pepper, the Carolina Reaper, as an ingredient in its chile. The company’s founder and president, Ed Currie, developed the record-holding Carolina Reaper in his South Carolina greenhouse.

As for McQuaid, he and his 15-year-old son visited Currie in South Carolina and tried small slivers of the Carolina Reaper.

“The heat ignites slowly and then takes over your entire palate and body, too,” McQuaid said.

McQuaid and his son experienced the sweating, the burning, the nose running and hiccups, only to watch Currie bite off half a pepper and undergo a mild case of watery eyes.

McQuaid said that’s the beauty of the human brain – our palettes can be easily conditioned over time to enjoy almost anything.

The author said the only enjoyment he felt when eating the world’s hottest pepper came after the experience was over and the relief of knowing he survived.