
Whenever I dig into a package of mixed fruity flavored candies, I have an entirely predictable response: savor the purples first, then the pinks and reds. (And only after I’ve plucked out those flavors will I offer to share what remains.) Even though artificial grape receives the full measure of my devotion, I’m awfully fond of red candies, too. It doesn’t even matter to me whether the reds are cherry or strawberry or something else; I like them all. So, during a recent meander through a gas station candy aisle, I was thrilled to note that the Starburst selection included a variety called FaveReds. The company describes the candies this way: “Like a mixtape of your favorite songs, the FaveReds bring your favorite juicy red flavors–strawberry, fruit punch, watermelon, and cherry–together in one pack.” A package of nothing but reds?! How could I resist?

Remember the giddy excitement that welled up inside the pit of your stomach when, upon completing a marathon Trick-or-Treating run, it was finally time to dump the contents of your bloated pillowcase all over the floor?
When slathering food with hot sauce or freshly ground chiles no longer delivers a sustained stream of endorphins to fire breathing humanoids like myself, additional sources of that