To start off our “N” month, we decided to try food from Nepal. A nearby Himalyan restaurant – Everest Indian-Himalayan Restaurant and Bar – served a dish called Chicken Lollipop! Well obviously that piqued our interest. But it wasn’t meant to be since the menu stated it had “spicy” flavorings. Spicy is not our thing, which is why we don’t often (like hardly ever) have Indian food. So we selected a Naan appetizer and a main entree of Chicken Momo, which the sweet waitress told us was the least spicy chicken selection. These were yummy dumplings. Its accompanying red sauce was barely touched -we couldn’t eat because of the “heat.” The naan too had a delicious flavor but one bite was all we could tolerate. The heat was overpowering!

Why can some people tolerate spicy, even super spicy, yet these sisters are wimps in the spice test? Turns out that spicy foods contain a chemical called capsaicin, which triggers a receptor in your mouth and on your tongue called a TRPV1 receptor. The sensitivity of these receptors vary from person to person.  Plus, the more you eat spicy foods and the earlier you start, the better tolerance you have. Since our mom’s idea of spices was salt and pepper, we’d have no chance of making it in Nepal!

New films: Himalaya and Even When I Fall

Barbara: Since we were “in Nepal” I decided to watch a Nepali film. Unfortunately, I didn’t care for either one of the two films. I was particularly hoping to like Himalaya since it had been an Oscar nominated film, but it just wasn’t my “cup of chai.”