Americans don’t want spicy food. Oh, they think they do, but they really don’t. The want medium — “zesty” — but not really, truly hot.
That’s always been the conventional wisdom. It’s said that, while there are always the daredevil diners who will pour the habanero sauce on anything, middle-America isn’t interested in being challenged with real heat. In other words, most of us are wimps.
But could the conventional wisdom be going by the wayside? Might the American palate be shifting in a way that opens up menus at national restaurant chains to items that deliver the goods in terms of a truly spicy meal? That’s what the folks at Taco Bell are counting on with the recent expansion of the Volcano Menu. Proven sales performance and an overall belief in changing culinary trends have them convinced they have a product that can sell well around the country with a genuinely spicy dish.
But could the heat be enough to impress me, the undisputed Endless Simmer king of chicken wings?
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