Electric buttons
Was out at Ixia's nitrogen bar last Saturday with a couple of coworkers, and molecular mixologist Tom Cusack had a present for us: A few small thimble-shaped buds called Szechuan buttons (pictured, with penny, for comparison's sake).
Yes, as far as I know, they're legal. And yes, I know, they don't look legal.
Cusack said he got a small amount of them from a friend, and was experimenting with them. He told us to bite off the end and roll it around in our mouths.
Nothing happened at first, but after 10 seconds, my mouth started feeling pretty funny. It was like the time I touched my tongue to a nine-volt battery on a dare from a friend as a kid.
The electric-numbness stayed in my mouth for a good few minutes after I'd swallowed the thing. It was weird. It really didn't have a taste, either. But what a cool effect.
(Photo by me)
Erik Maza is a features reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He writes for several sections of the Sun paper and contributes weekly columns on music and nightlife. He also writes and edits the Midnight Sun blog. He often covers entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. Occasionally, he writes about Four Loko, The Block, the liquor board, and those who practice "
