Spicy is technically not a taste, and our taste buds don't process spicy the same way other tastes are processed. It's instead a low level of pain sensation, wh

Spicy is technically not a taste, and our taste buds don't process spicy the same way other tastes are processed. It's instead a low level of pain sensation, which we interpret as a flavor when mixed with other "real" flavors. The same nerves which sense the spicy pain sensation also sense touch and heat, so the latter is probably why we associate spicy foods with a feeling of hotness. This is probably why spicy sensations can overrun other tastes so easily, because our bodies' pain reactions are very strong.