Close your eyes and imagine yourself standing at the mouth of a dark, ancient cave. The air is cool and heavy with the scent of the damp earth, but in your hands, you hold something unexpectedly decadent: a thick slice of rich, dark chocolate cake.
I will be the first person to openly admit that I'm afraid of arachnids, insects, and reptiles, and I go out of my way to avoid them.
That, however, doesn't mean I mind smelling like the places they inhabit.
Latrodectus Mactans is the Latin name for the black widow spider—and I'll not mince words, they scare the caca out of me!
Since this contains neither venom nor live arachnids, I'm cool with it.
On my skin, this opens as a rich, luscious cocoa powder that transforms into a delectable chocolate cake. This is not just any chocolate cake, though; it's studded with a myriad of sweet dried fruits and earthy mushrooms.
Then, a very heavy, distinct soil and detritus note arrives.
It's like eating a piece of fine chocolate cake outside of a cave.
You dive into eating the cake, enjoying the bits of chopped candied fruit and the intrigue of the ganache mushrooms, and then you notice it—dark, damp soil, dead leaves, and the smell of burnt things.
It may sound off-putting, and perhaps incredibly odd, but it really works well. The soil and the cocoa actually marry perfectly, and the sweetness of the dried fruit complements the earthiness and umami of the mushrooms, mingling with the earthy sweetness of rotting leaves.
I'm thoroughly enjoying this, but please, keep any and all spiders away from me!
Vibe: A gothic dessert at the edge of a forbidden cavern.
Serendipitously Me: The way the umami of the mushrooms plays against the intense sweetness of the cake is pure magic for my taste buds.
Status: Worn and surviving (as long as no eight-legged guests show up).
