As a huge food nerd, I'm always up for an hour of Mo Rocca's in-depth dissection of fascinating food themes in Food(ography). In fact, I occasionally take notes. Here are five cool things I learned from the first six minutes of yesterday evening's episode of Food(ography), Hot and Spicy:

1. You should eat spicy foods when it's hot outside! It's harder for your body to digest food in warmer weather, but chemicals in spices aid in digestion. So go make some salsa today!
2. A pepper's spicy heat isn't measured in degrees; it's measured in Scoville heat units, which indicate the amount of capsaicin in the pepper.
3. The milk myth is real! According to Francis Lam, the heat in a pepper is actually an oil, so water washes right over it. Drinking milk or some type of fat is the key to easing the burn, because fat can connect and pull it off your nerve endings.
4. Ghost chili peppers from India are considered the hottest peppers in the world.
5. Seppuku is a type of Japanese ritualized suicide performed by slashing the stomach. Gross, but it's actually the perfect name for the very hottest-of-the-hot hot wings at Buffalo Cantina in Brooklyn, NY. Secret ingredient: pepper extract, also used to make mace. This extreme dish is served with a challenge (12 wings in 3 minutes) and a liability waiver.

If you missed the episode last night, tune in again on Thursday, Aug. 18 at 8pm ET to catch all the danger and drama (lots of tears!), more hot dishes, spicy-food eateries and tons of fiery facts on Food(ography) Hot and Spicy. And if you're craving something hot, browse 100 spicy recipes from Cooking Channel chefs.