Somewhere along the course of their lives, some fortunate few find themselves compelled to embark upon a "
spice journey" -- not by physical
travels (though it may involve these), but via a transformational
phase in one's
palate. It all starts with with an unexpected
infatuation with
spicy food, possibly triggered by a childhood
memory, possibly simply the sudden
craving for
heat. This newly born appreciation propels the individual into
exploration of
mastication of the fiery intensity of certain families of foods, most famously an array of
chili peppers bred by nature to ward off
herbivores by being mouth-burning, and yet quixotically desirable to some subset of humans. But peppers (and
black pepper) alone do not circumscribe the
world of spice; certain kinds of
mustard and
horseradish bring their own heat.
The journey inevitably starts cautiously. A
dab of
hot sauce here, a sprinkle of
cayenne pepper there—each tasting testing the limits of one's
tolerance. For those who can hack it, the
excitement of pushing boundaries arises and exhilarates. And once one discovers one's limits, the journey turns inwards, and becomes not just about enduring the heat, but about
savoring the
flavoring. Tolerance builds, and the spice journey evolves into a quest for personal spice preferences from the endless possibility of recombinations rediscovered a thousand times in different regions and by different cultures.
The
culmination of the spice journey is a deep
appreciation for the art of
hotness. Understanding which spices complement what dishes, achieving an almost philosophical balance of heat and
sweet and savoriness and flavorfulness, embracing the delightful
sting suffusing a well-spiced meal. Ultimately, the journey transforms one's relationship with food, with the
world, and with
oneself.
288-ish words, including this one, for Brevity Quest 2024