If your mouth is on fire after taking a bite of something too hot or spicy, you can try some quick hacks to tone down the flavors for salvaging your too-spicy meal.

Cooking is perceived as an art, and you may sometimes miss adding an ingredient, or end up adding too much of it. No matter how often you cook, adding flavors can always get a little tricky. It is significant to remember that not everyone can handle spicy food, so if you have mistakenly added too much spice to your meal, read on to find out how you can tone it down.

Nut butter

To help tone down the fire, sneak in some peanut butter into the dish. It will effectively help to mitigate the spicy factor. As an alternative to peanut butter, you may also add almond butter for the same results. The taste of nut butter mellows down the flavors and neutralizes the spice.

Dairy

Adding more liquid is a great first line of defense against spicy offenders.Most of us are aware that when our mouths are burning from spicy food, a glass of milk is a great remedy to mitigate the effect of spiciness. Adding dairy products like curd, milk, or cream can adjust the spice levels. A hearty sprinkling of grated cheese and sour cream dampens the burn and milk contains casein protein that helps tone down the spiciness of the food, making it mild.

Add acid

Acidic substances like citrus, vinegar, or ketchup can work as a great way to rescue you from the horror of extra spicy or hot food. Just a teaspoon of vinegar can help cut through the spiciness. You can also chop up some fresh tomato or pineapple to neutralize the pH levels of spicy oil and to reduce the flaming-hot flavor.

Lime juice

Acidic ingredients like lemon help to tone down the spiciness. The tanginess from lemon juice works best with the extra spice to acquire a perfect balance of flavors and taste. So, next time your meal is too hot and spicy, just add some lime juice to cut down the excess heat.

Add sugar or honey

All spicy dishes follow a sweet craving. So instead of resorting to a sweet bite after a spicy meal, add some sweetness to your food by adding sugar, jaggery, or honey. Sugar absorbs the oil and efficaciously neutralizes the spicy heat, somewhat altering the taste.  It is essential to be mindful of the quantity of sugar you are adding. Natural sweeteners like onions and tomatoes can help in balancing the flavors. You can also add a teaspoon of honey to lessen the heat.

So, which is your new go-to solution for tempering the heat of your meal?