system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ElI5: Why does wasabi burn your sinuses and not your tongue/mouth?
gpt
The chemical that makes wasabi spicy doesn't get absorbed by the tongue like the chemical that makes peppers spicy. Wasabi spice is also less hot by eating it with water or watery liquids like soy sauce, whereas hot pepper spice is not. You need alcohol or something fatty like milk to lessen the spiciness of peppers.