Recently, I’ve noticed my tolerance for spicy foods has gone up. I now load up my rice and pasta with red chili flakes or cayenne pepper or Old Bay seasoning, savouring the sizzle on my tongue. Five years ago, one single chili flake would have lit my mouth on fire. I know our taste buds change as we age, but this is a development I didn’t expect.
With this newfound love of The Spice, I’m going all out; spicy guac, spicy chili bean chips, spicy curry, spicy fries. Is it a vegetable, pasta, soup, rice? Throw in The Spice! Don’t skimp on it, I want my mouth to feel like Anakin in the lava pit.
I’m not saying that I need The Spice in order to enjoy a meal (I’m not that twisted yet), but it does add a certain pizazz to it.
Image: Simer Haer/The Cascade
