[coolgeek]

> that closes up the throat

That sounds like an allergic reaction. Anaphylaxis ranges in severity from minor discomfort to life threatening. The reaction depends on the sensitivity of the person, the triggering substance, and the amount of the substance they came in contact with

[SideburnsOfDoom]

I agree, but it's an odd thing to realise much later, when reluctantly trying a food for maybe the first time in 10 or 20 years. (when a kid says they don't like figs, figs are stinky, you stop giving them figs and move on.)

Friend was one of those enthusiastic "go on, they're so fresh, try it you'll like it!" guys.

So I said: "all right then. Nope, still tastes like figs do"

Q: "What do you mean?"

A: "you know, all peppery and rough. Figs."

Q: "uh, what?"

A: "Figs are peppery, itchy, right? Right?"

"Nnnoo. It might be just you."

I don't have a serious reaction. I still don't like figs though.

[coolgeek]

FWIW, I've never before heard of anyone allergic to figs - or to any fruit. So I suspect that it is a rare dysfunction. The unusual nature and the mild reaction make your situation non-obvious. The link to wasps (noted by others) adds an additional potential dimension.

I know one person that is allergic to chocolate, as well as to "Christmas trees" (don't know whether it's all pines or only some pines). Other than that, all the food allergy cases I know of fall into the common categories - dairy, poultry, shellfish, nuts/legumes...

Now that I think about it, I have to wonder if the "soapy" cilantro phenomenon is a mild allergy. But that's also correlated to the "supertaster" phenomenon.

Sensory phenomena are fascinatingly complex.

[SideburnsOfDoom]

I think it started with the milky sap of the fig tree, actually.

A reaction to that is quite common

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30745641/

https://www.livestrong.com/article/546672-fig-allergies/

[coolgeek]

TIL