brian's blog

I did something stupid at work today. During a department mini-party, someone mentioned in conversation that it's impossible to eat a spoonful of cinnamon. Someone else, naturally, took this as a challenge, and swallowed a spoonful around a hushed crowd. He appeared to be in immediate and intense pain, with facial muscles twitching and tears welling up in his eyes. After several minutes of suffering and a few shots of water, though, he managed to get it down. Everyone congratulated him.

Then, a few moments later when I thought no one else was looking, I went over to the cinnamon and tried a small dash of the stuff. Big mistake. Others noticed me, and decided I was up next for a spoonful. I had no choice but to give it a shot.

The verdict? Tastes like burning. It hurt. A lot. I had a similar amount of suffering, pain, and amusing facial expressions. And I can still taste it, many hours later. I really don't feel too good.

Also, I can safely conclude that it is surely impossible to eat a spoonful of cinnamon without the help of a liquid. Your mouth and throat will simply say "No. Are you insane?"

Update: It occurs to me that I shouldn't be recounting this story in a public space. It might reflect very badly upon my employer that they actually hire people as stupid as me. So let me just say that I am not a representative employee, nor a particularly good role model.