Although this torturous experience is fleeting, researchers at New Mexico State University’s Chile Pepper Institute have discovered a fix that quickly extinguishes the fire – milk. They found a protein in this dairy product which replaces the chemical compound that makes chili peppers taste hot and gives you instant relief. Capsaicin is the chemical compound in chili peppers that makes them taste hot; milk has a protein in it that replaces the capsaicin on the receptors on your tongue. It’s the quickest way to alleviate the burning sensation.