I have never been able to tolerate spice. I grew up eating extremely bland food because my mother was so bad at it even black pepper would make her incredibly sick. When I got out on my own and was able to access different foods, I had to stay away from spice because whenever I tried it, it hurt. I thought this was how everyone experienced spice. That people who load their food with hot sauce were just masochists who needed therapy and possibly a hug.
Come to find out, when you have chronic sinus inflammation and the cornucopia of problems I had with sinuses, it can change how you experience spices. Namely, spice hurts. Every Scoville level higher is torture and there is no flavor when there’s heat. There is only heat.
Case in point: Taco Bell Mild Sauce made me want to cry.
I am almost at 6-weeks post-op and I decided it was time to give some heat a try. We went to Taco Bell and wouldn’t you know it, I had a nice meal. Right before surgery even the sauce on the quesadilla, not even one of the extra sauces, was entirely too much. I tried the quesadilla by itself. No problems.
Then I tried some spicy avocado sauce, then mild sauce with the quesadilla. No problems. I felt some heat, but it wasn’t bad at all, pleasant almost. Finally, I tried some Fire Sauce that one of the other diners had procured. This was actually fine, too.
I couldn’t have been more shocked.
I had never connected my inability to handle spice to my sinus issues. Which, to be fair, I didn’t connect much to my sinus issues pre-surgery and apparently I really should have.
This isn’t the end, of course. Handling Taco Bell sauces is not my Everest. One cuisine I have always truly loved is Indian food. The flavors are unlike any other and I had long decided I could never possibly handle enough heat to enjoy all the different kinds of ways this cuisine can be prepared.