"Flaming Sinuses!"

Yes, that's my adaptation of "Flaming Death!" from A Bug's Life. You see, I got a new supply of wasabi peas last weekend when I was in Memphis. This batch is considerably zippier than the previous batch which I just finished on Monday. Silly me, I blithely grabbed half a dozen peas and dumped them in my mouth. About two crunches later the fumes entered my nasopharynx, burning away anything and everything that might have been growing up there, including at least some of the epithelial cells, from the feeling of things.

The nice thing about wasabi and wasabi peas is that the burning stops once you swallow. It's not like chili peppers where the burning mouth continues after you've swallowed or spit out the chili containing substances. Of course, the chili/hot pepper burn doesn't seem to produce fumes either, though it does cause more runny nose effects.

The other nice thing about wasabi peas is that for a crunchy afternoon snack, it's definitely something that nobody is likely to swipe off your desk if left unattended. Wasabi peas are rather unassuming little things, but not overly attractive or easily recognizable as something "good". Most folks won't touch them once you do tell them what they are either. So I can offer to share and rest assured that nobody will take me up on the offer. Which leaves more for ME ME ME ME ME!!! And my sinuses.