[coldtea]

>In this case they are talking about the available selection of spices used in Sichuanese cooking. Not the Sichuanese people's ability to taste spicy food.

I read it as being about adding this particular flavor to their accepted tastes, i.e. embracing the new taste -- not about merely adding the spice to the variety/assortment of spices they use (which was a given as the parent was already talking about that).

[rincewind]

Conclusion: even native speakers can't tell if typo, pun or dead metaphor. I wish I could turn back time, make an edit to the article, ask again, compare results.

[twelvechairs]

Coldtea and elthran are right imo. The phrase reads simply to me. No typo pun or metaphor. If 'palette' was used id read it as misspelling.

[hodwik]

> "If 'palette' was used id read it as misspelling."

Thank goodness we finally have an authority on the subject to tell us what to believe.