Whether you’re eating at your favorite Thai restaurant or cooking a meal at home, embracing spicy cuisine can open your culinary horizons. But you want to make sure you can handle the heat. By learning to enjoy spicy food, you might discover some of your new favorite dishes. Here are a few ways to dive into a spicy meal.

How Can You Enjoy Spicy Food?

1. Work Your Way Up to It

If you’re fairly new to spicy food, you don’t need to start with the hottest item on the menu. A spicy curry at a Thai restaurant can be a fantastic starting point before you slather your meals in ghost pepper hot sauce. Start slow, order dishes with mild spice, and learn your limits. This way, you can truly enjoy a spicy meal without overwhelming your taste buds.

2. Eat With Bread

A piece of bread can absorb the spicy oils that are lingering in your mouth, helping you find some relief while you eat. Other carbs can also be effective, so order a bowl of plain rice if you’re worried about your mouth burning. Munch on a few bites of spice before cooling your tongue off with the side dish. This pattern will help you get more pleasure out of the meal.

3. Enjoy an Appetizer First

If you eat spicy food on an empty stomach, you’ll be feeling the burn long into the night. Give your stomach a bit of a buffer by eating a mild appetizer first, like dumplings or spring rolls. Once you have something in your stomach, you’ll feel more comfortable while eating some spicy dishes.

4. Follow With Dairy

When choosing your dessert for the evening, opt for a dairy-based option. The fat in the dairy binds with the compounds in the spicy oil and washes it away. If you’re eating at a Thai restaurant, try a tapioca pudding or ice cream dish for dessert as these treats will cool your mouth while relieving you of the last bits of spice.

Regardless of your ideal spice level, Thailand Cuisine 2 has something for you. Located in Kihei and Kahului, HI, this Thai restaurant uses fresh ingredients to create unforgettable seafood, meat, and vegetarian dishes, like pad thai, khao pad pak, and tom kha gai. View their menu online, or call (808) 873-0225 to make a reservation or place a takeout order.