I have a problem with this question because I cannot separate flavor from texture, smell, temperature, even color, and occasionally the circumstances under which something enters my mouth. Are we talking about the smooth, glossy supermarket variety cucumbers or the little bumpy ones straight from the garden? Because those are two entirely different experiences, and I have strong feelings about each.

I seem to have two categories of favorite flavors: one permanent, and another that changes every few months.

The permanent one is coffee. But it has to be a very specific coffee, prepared a very specific way, served hot, and consumed immediately upon waking, before brushing my teeth or allowing absolutely anything else into my mouth. I have maintained this relationship for over twenty years.

My current seasonal obsession is what I call honey pears. Golden yellow, almost overripe, fragrant that I can smell them when taking a bite, with that particular texture where the flesh practically dissolves and the juice runs everywhere. And again, nothing else in my mouth. The pear must have my undivided attention.

I was told that I may be neurodivergent, but I think it’s a lie. I think having standards for my vegetables does not constitute a neurological condition.