This is the chef’s kiss of scientific discovery The next time you tuck in to a tikka masala you might find yourself asking a burning question: are spices used in dishes to help stop infection? It’s a question many have chewed the fat over. And now thanks to new research from The Australian National University (ANU) we have an answer. The quick takeaway is: probably not.
Mixed spice
Spices in Siab Bazaar, a traditional market in old Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Credit: Pawel Toczynski / Getty Images
The idea that cooks in hot countries adopted spices to help prevent food poisoning in sweltering conditions may sound logical, but new Australian research suggests spicier cuisines do not lead to healthier citizens.
The results may come as a blow for proponents of “Darwinian gastronomy”, who have theorised that a taste for spice developed in warmer climates – where food spoils more easily – because some spices can kill bacteria and fungi that attack food.
Nature Human Behaviour, led by the Australian National University (ANU), throws doubt on their conclusions.