Flavor is science. Our tastes are rooted inside thousands of microchemical reactions occurring at near-light speed within our brains. The effects are cumulative. Eat a bunch of stinky cheese and it can be hard for a new flavor to cut through. This is why foodies swear by palate cleansers. Bland, sometimes effervescent food and drink designed to wipe the slate clean and rest your bewildered senses so that you can savor something new.
