I've discovered a new taste sensation today. I mean this not in its usual figurative sense, describing some fantastic flavor, but in a completely literal way: I've tasted something today that not only was something I'd never had before, but truly did not process as a normal taste.

On the back table at work, we routinely have snacks provided. Today, there was a bowl of salsa and some chips, but as people don't know how to properly match portions, only a few broken chips were left while quite a lot of salsa remained in the bowl. Nearby, however, was a bowl of brownies.

You may see where I'm going with this. In my defense, I'd like to state that I was fairly certain that brownies and salsa would be horrible together. However, I didn't know for sure, and there was always a chance that they'd be somehow delicious, like bananas and brown mustard. So I put several brownies on a plate, poured salsa on them, and tried one.

The results were astonishing. I think I short-circuited my tastebuds, for although I could feel the food in my mouth, feel the smoothness of the salsa and the grit of the brownies, I could not actually taste it at all as I chewed it. It wasn't until after I swallowed that the taste hit me -- and make no mistake, it was horrendous. It might be the worst thing I've ever eaten. I took another bite, to confirm, and the same thing happened again. The aftertaste was chalk and cilantro, but it had no flavor at all while it was actually present in my mouth.

Like a gastronomic House of the Dead, a fascination with the sheer horror of the process compelled me to finish it all, to ensure that it really would be the same all the way through. I can't in good conscience recommend this to anyone else, as it was abysmally disgusting -- but in such an interesting way! I might try it again, once I can get the taste out of my mouth. But then again, I've been thinking that maybe I should watch House of the Dead again, too, since it couldn't possibly be as bad as I remember. It's clear that I just don't learn from certain types of mistakes.

Mood of the Moment: epicurean
Auditory Hallucination: Repo -- Thankless Job