The Black Country was founded on cottage industries, and that’s exactly how Jungle Juice began.

Straight from grandma’s living room as she serves you up a pint of bitter and a cob.

Fuel your wild side!

History

Jungle Juice began life as Jungle Jerky – try selling sand to the Arabs and you get the idea of selling jerky to the pork scratching munching blokes of the Black Country, and a quick rewind and a remix turned it into a hot sauce brand!

During the industrial revolution, men would haul iron on barges along the canals and sweat their hats off in a blazing hot foundry all week, and then unwind by spit roasting an entire bull down the pub on weekends with their families. Jungle Juice now brings a fusion of the old, the new and the future of high quality flavours straight to your pocket for whenever you need it most.

Science

Let’s get down to basics. Chillies feel hot because of chemical compounds in them – mainly capsaicin, which tricks your nervous system into thinking they are hot. It’s a fascinating interaction between chemistry and biology:

Here’s how it works:

1. Capsaicin and TRPV1 Receptors: When you eat a chili pepper, capsaicin is released and comes into contact with special protein receptors in your mouth, called TRPV1 receptors (Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1). These receptors are located on sensory nerve cells, particularly those involved in detecting heat and pain.
2. “Heat” Activation: The TRPV1 receptors are normally activated by actual high temperatures (above 43°C) and acidic conditions, which are signals of potential tissue damage or inflammation. However, capsaicin molecules are uniquely shaped to bind to these same TRPV1 receptors.
3. Sending the Signal: When capsaicin binds to a TRPV1 receptor, it changes the receptor’s shape, effectively “unlocking” it. This allows ions (especially calcium ions) to flow into the nerve cell. This influx of ions generates an electrical signal that is transmitted along the nerve to your brain.
4. Brain’s Interpretation: Your brain interprets these signals as a burning sensation and heat, even though there’s no actual thermal heat involved. It’s a form of chemosensation, where a chemical creates a sensation typically associated with a physical stimulus.
5. Body’s Response: Because your brain believes you’re overheating or in pain, it triggers a cascade of physiological responses to cool your body down and deal with the perceived threat. These can include:
   • Sweating
   • Increased heart rate
   • Flushing of the skin
   • Runny nose and watery eyes
   • Release of endorphins (your body’s natural painkillers), which can contribute to the “high” some people feel from spicy food.

In essence, you don’t taste spicy food in the traditional sense of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, or umami. You feel it, as a pain and heat sensation. This is why the spiciness can also be felt on other mucous membranes, like in your eyes or if you touch your nose after handling chillies.