Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Spicy food
Food is so interesting. It represents much more than just sustenance. It's comfort. It's a refuge. It's addictive. It's healing. It's entertaining.
Today's musing is about curries, chilis, garlicky pasta dishes, hot sauces. I enjoy them, myself, and because I do, I've noticed what people who favor more bland fare never would - that a good percentage of the truly hot sauces made by and for hot sauce aficionados have really dirty names. Many of them have to do with sex and I'm not sure why. Others focus on a particular body part (due to the after-effects of over-indulgence on the inner workings) and many are just vulgar for the sake of vulgarity. This disturbs me on many levels - partly because it's so unnecessary, partly because the shock value doesn't amuse me since I left puberty, partly because I can't have them in my home since the labels are inappropriate for children. My children enjoy hot sauces, as well, and I don't understand the predilection of the sauce makers towards obscenity. I feel as if the mentality of those who enjoy the taste adventure is presumed to be very low-level and gluttonous. (That's gluttonous, not glutenous.)
People who actually compete in the amount and the intensity of the heat of their dishes mystify me in the same way as people who look at me with (disgust? amazement? admiration?) when they eat with me and observe how I spice up my portion. It's only food and it's only my personal taste. It's not a talent, a personality trait or a skill of any type. It's not as if I've tried to eat an entire two-pound steak in a three-minute time period. And no, I don't get heartburn, so long as I don't eat too much or too late at night. (I have heard of a restaurant in New Orleans that advertises a meal so spicy that if a patron can eat the entire dish without drinking any water, it's on the house. Again, what is the fascination?) Why does it inspire such emotion? Any thoughts on this?
To sleep, perchance to dream...of wasabi. 'night
Today's musing is about curries, chilis, garlicky pasta dishes, hot sauces. I enjoy them, myself, and because I do, I've noticed what people who favor more bland fare never would - that a good percentage of the truly hot sauces made by and for hot sauce aficionados have really dirty names. Many of them have to do with sex and I'm not sure why. Others focus on a particular body part (due to the after-effects of over-indulgence on the inner workings) and many are just vulgar for the sake of vulgarity. This disturbs me on many levels - partly because it's so unnecessary, partly because the shock value doesn't amuse me since I left puberty, partly because I can't have them in my home since the labels are inappropriate for children. My children enjoy hot sauces, as well, and I don't understand the predilection of the sauce makers towards obscenity. I feel as if the mentality of those who enjoy the taste adventure is presumed to be very low-level and gluttonous. (That's gluttonous, not glutenous.)
People who actually compete in the amount and the intensity of the heat of their dishes mystify me in the same way as people who look at me with (disgust? amazement? admiration?) when they eat with me and observe how I spice up my portion. It's only food and it's only my personal taste. It's not a talent, a personality trait or a skill of any type. It's not as if I've tried to eat an entire two-pound steak in a three-minute time period. And no, I don't get heartburn, so long as I don't eat too much or too late at night. (I have heard of a restaurant in New Orleans that advertises a meal so spicy that if a patron can eat the entire dish without drinking any water, it's on the house. Again, what is the fascination?) Why does it inspire such emotion? Any thoughts on this?
To sleep, perchance to dream...of wasabi. 'night
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