forging new tastes

last night i had the pleasure of sampling a chinese herb called the szechuan button.  take a pinch and place it on your tongue for a few moments, then eat as normal.  except it’s no longer business as usual: flavors are enhanced, from avocado cream and kampachi tartare to one’s own saliva.

as the washington post describes:

Sensations from even one-eighth of a half-inch-long, deceptively innocuous little yellow nub will come in waves. There’s a grassy start, then a rush into Pop-Rocks territory as a tingling-slight numbing combo hits the back of the soft palate. Some people will feel the saliva-stimulating effects of the bud’s natural alkylamides; many report a cold-fresh finish in the throat that, like any good gift, keeps on giving long after the plant matter has disappeared down the hatch.

i’ve never been to the restaurant that served me this tiny delight, but considering they also concocted a butternut squash rum punch that was pretty much the best thing ever (or maybe it was the szechuan button?), my curiosity is piqued.