I am probably the last person on Earth to try these (much like I only discover bands 6 months to a year after everyone else), but if by chance you have not had the following parties in your mouth, you need to change that:

UMEBOSHI
Japanese pickled plums, salty and sour. I had heard of these as health food tonic (an umeboshi a day! good for your liver! cleans out toxins!) but had never actually EATEN one until the other day. My very smart friend Rosy tells me these are a traditional filling for onigiri. I had the paste wrapped with cucumber in a maki roll and it pickled my mouth, which I mean in the best way possible.

CARMENERE
A varietal they thought was wiped out by some plague or another, til everyone was like, HEY WHY IS THIS MERLOT FROM CHILE SO GOOOOOD? and some scientist was like, HEY DUDES IT'S NOT MERLOT, IT'S THIS 200 YEAR OLD VARIETY OF GRAPE NO ONE THOUGHT EXISTED ANYMORE. If you're trying to buy some, I like Root 1 because their label has a rad design (aside from the small caps) and it's tasty and under 15 bucks.



I will be enjoying these flavors while listening to Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, xx, and other albums which hip people are already bored with.