Sauce

You think my story yesterday outrageous ? Not at all.

You know what, I learnt the effect of that college's training program nearly 20 years ago - when I first tried the traditional Beijing dish instant-boiled mutton (涮羊肉).

Didn't you try it ? I tell you what. Before I ate the mutton, I prepare a small bowel of soy sauce to dip the meat. A friend of mine asked, "Wouldn't you add some sesame sauce ? It adds to the flavor."

I tried, and it did.

Another of my friend said, "You must add the spicy oil. It tastes great."

"Quite so ..." I agreed.

"How about the BBQ sauce ?" "And minced spring onion ?" "Seafood sauce ..."

There were no fewer than 20 ingredients on the table. I added a bit of each to my bowel, and soon found it overspilled - and the taste of horrible.

Yes, it is in fact a common psychological trap. Although each small piece of "special addition" may seem negligible and would not affect the overall picture much, in the aggregate they will cause an unbelievable and often irreversible effect.

PS. The traditional Beijing people have a vivid name given to the final sauce mixture in my bowel: 混醬.

We may use the same term for our training.