In a message dated 6/5/99 4:32:15 AM Pacific Daylight Time, av8d-ysb@asahi-net.or.jp writes: << Apparenlty, in reaction to all that heat, the skin of the tongue is supposed to thicken and this impairs to some agree our sense of taste. This sounds like a bunch of compost to me. >> As far as I am concerned my own sense of taste is actually assisted by regular doses of our favorite fruits. The only time I can say that my taste has been impaired has been when I overindulged in something way out of my league or used a hotsauce that was too heavy in the vinegar taste. Maybe the capsicum opens some pores(?) in our tongue? I don't know, but Im not going to stop eating chile peppers either. Just my two cents! John ChefChile Whalen