How does a chile pepper-loving mama carry on when she refuses to become a short-order cook for her young children, but doesn’t want to live without heat and spice in her life? I’ve got ideas for you, and they might be simpler than you think.
In New Mexico, where I grew up, green and red chile (known around here as “Hatch”) are the basis of our local cuisine. We put that glorious stuff in and on everything.
Texans appreciate bold flavor, and I appreciate that about Texas! Nachos just aren’t nachos without jalapeños. We like to know who makes the best bowl of red. Slow-smoked brisket tacos are topped with spoonfuls of fiery salsa.
This presents a problem for children, the majority of whom don’t like eating chile because it causes them pain. Still, I find it interesting that all around the world, these same little ones grow into spicy food-eating adults. How does this transformation happen? I did a little research and here’s what I learned.
“Hot” and “spicy” are not tastes in the same sense as sweet, salty, sour, etc. Spicy is more of a danger! signal to the brain. Capsaicin — the culprit for heat in chile — activates pain in the tongue. Humans and animals are averse to this; yet, unlike dogs, humans go back for more. Why?
The theory is, over time we accept that salsa-induced pain isn’t going to hurt us for real. It’s like we flip a mental switch and experience chile differently. For many of us, this pain is reduced to a friendly ghost with whom we’re happy to sit at the table. For others, chiles continue to be the boogeyman.
To join the “benign masochist club,” you must have regular exposure to hot food and see other humans partaking of it. Under these conditions, kids in Mexico begin eating chile willingly by age four or five. It’s a process.
Parents have an innate desire to share meaningful foods with their children. It warms my heart to watch my girls gobble up family favorites such as buttermilk biscuits and lemon chess pie. I’ll be even more pleased when they come around to my way of thinking about carne adovada, posole, and green chile stew. My four-year old is nowhere close; my eight-year old has a ways to go. Still, I can’t help but think they have potential. They aren’t chile-heads yet, but that doesn’t mean they’ll never be. Right? No need to sweat it! These things don’t happen overnight.
I thought about what’s working for our family, and I polled my chile-eating parent friends. Here are 12 simple ideas for encouraging the spicy foods life with children.
Introduce kids to a variety of flavors, and keep up the good work. When strong flavors are the norm, adding heat to the mix won’t be out of the ordinary.
Make one family meal. You’re not going to please all of the people all of the time. Who wants to be a short-order cook for demanding children? Infants should get special treatment, of course. Let the others adjust to reality. When kids have one dinner option, they are more likely to eat try it.
Be respectful. If kids are going to “warm up” to spicy food, they need to feel safe. Forcing children to eat something that causes them pain would be unkind (and unproductive.)
Grow their interest. In our garden, we plant jalapeños and serranos. My kids announce when these are ripe for picking. That’s a place to start. Our little garden worked wonders last summer getting two sisters to eat tomatoes. I suggest making a compound serrano butter. That’s a butter made for cornbread, people!
Show hospitality and involve your kids in the food prep. Food is valued when it’s shared. When your son sees his cousin dunk a chip into a bowl of salsa, he’s more likely to try it himself.
Be encouraging. When your kids try something new, give them a high five. If they cry “too spicy!” offer a glass of milk with their high five.
Ease them into it. A friend of mine makes a fresh “kid salsa” that starts with tomato, onion, and cilantro only. She adds in bits of jalapeño over time.
Tone down versions of your favorite dishes. Be a team player. You can always crank up the heat later.
Be sneaky. Add drops of heat to the egg wash of chicken strips, pasta sauces, and baked goods. This way, your kids get consistent exposure to flavor without realizing it.
Options are good. Make meals to which heat can be easily added. Tacos, sandwiches, and pizza all fit the bill.
Apply a little (harmless) pressure. One friend of mine, when her kids say “Too spicy!” responds: “Oh, that’s right . . . you’re probably not old enough yet to like this spicy food.” Boom. Kid tries the food.
Issue a throwdown. Do you have a couple kids wired for competition? When they’re ready, set out a bar of spicy foods and have a little fun seeing who can take the heat.
***A word of caution: When working with chiles, do not — I repeat, do not — mindlessly rub your eye. If you do, you’ll set yourself back in your attempts to convince your kids that chiles are harmless. They’ll hear you yelp and will begin asking questions about why Mom is pressing an ice pack to her eye.***
So, you have children. That doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy the foods you love. Good food makes life worth living. Kids around the world, including many a ‘lil Texan, grow up to relish spicy food. Be patient. Be sneaky. Be gradual. But, keep doing what you do. Maybe one day, you’ll look around the table at your big, happy, chile-eating family. Cheers to that!
Congrats on your first FWMB post! This makes me want to eat green chile and eggs this morning. Someday the kids will too!
Thank you, sweetheart! 🙂