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Why can some people happily munch on chillies whereas others abhor the intense burning sensation that comes from erage them? It turns out that our genes play a part.

- Jennifer Bowden

Question: I was fascinated by your February 4 column about genetic variance in taste receptors. I can’t tolerate chilli beyond a mild spice level. It’s not for want of trying. For me, a medium chilli drowns out every other flavour and removes the taste and nuance of different herbs and spices. My mouth and lips feel swollen (but aren’t), and my throat is sore. Perhaps my genes are to blame?

Answer: Capsaicin is the compound in chillies that elicits the spicy sensation that's either loved or hated by many people. Although repeated exposure, particularly over a lifetime, can improve liking for chilli, research suggests there is undoubtedly a genetic component to preference. And we have a bunch of unsuspecting twins who dined on strange chilli concoctions to thank for these revelations.

Finnish researchers recruited a group of adults comprising 47 identical twin pairs, 93 non-identical twin pairs and 51 twin individuals (without their co-twin) for their chilli trials. The researchers fed the poor twins (depending on your perspective, I guess) standard strawberry jelly or one spiked with capsaicin and asked them to rate the pleasantness. The researchers then used modelling to determine what percentage of chilli liking was associated with genetics. They concluded genetic factors accounted for 18-58% of the variation in liking spicy foods, oral pungency and pungent sensations. The remaining proportion enjoyment for spicy foods was the result of environmental factors, such as regular exposure to chilli, exposure from an early age, and so on.