Jessica, meanwhile, a foodie in this little neighbourhood, had drunk deeply of the flavours from every hole-in-the-wall and every temple of haute gastronomy the 10 miles around might offer. Nothing was too opaque or too out of the way to be swallowed whole.
She was a homemade alchemist in the kitchen, prone to mixing up recipes and welcoming her friends to serve as guinea pigs. But this human encyclopaedia of food had a secret: she liked food on the very mild side. She couldn’t stand spice.
You might think that someone like Jessica, an expert in food, would be able to resist even the tastiest dish, but that is not true. Any time Jessica tastes something remotely spicy, she turns beet red, with tears glistening in her eyes. 

Despite her friends finding it hysterical, she doesn’t back down. She asks for the spiciest thing on the menu, and her eyes light up when she finds out she’s chosen some insanely spicy wasabi mayonnaise and seaweed shreds on a special spicy burger. And, every single time, the same thing occurs: red-hot cheeks, watery eyes, and pleas for water.
‘Friends would say, “You’re a food professional, and you can’t eat spice?"'
She’d be like, “Hey girls, we all had our weaknesses. What can you say?” 
So Jessica, the food enthusiast, stays there, keeps on exploring new dishes, with a smile, a sense of humour, and a glass of water nearby.