. . .to eat funnel cake.

Except, of course, that you think it is going to taste good.

Trust me.

It will not.

This is the result of the law of the universe which states that almost nothing you enjoyed as a child is as good as you remember it.

Now, when I say that funnel cake will not taste good, that is an exaggeration, of course.  It’s fried dough and powdered sugar.  How bad can it be?

It’s just that it will not live up to the anticipation.  It’s fried dough.  And powdered sugar.  Hot, greasy, sticky, too big, too sweet, and most likely, too expensive.  If you’re anything like me, you will end up being sorry you bought it.

Not that this will stop you from eating it at the time or buying it in the future.  It’s very hard to resist childhood treats when you are on an outing.  And you will almost certainly be on an outing when funnel cake crosses your path.  It is most commonly found at carnivals and fairs and flea markets and harvest festivals.  You can make your own.  But will you?  I think not.

There are other fried dough foods—zeppolis, beignets, sopapillas—and, I venture to say, the experience is probably pretty similar.  You buy them because you remember liking them as a kid.  You scarf down this heavy dough, managing to thoroughly dust yourself with powdered sugar in the process, and you finish up with a strange craving for insulin.

It is disappointing.

Odds are. . .I’ll be doing it again the next time I see a funnel cake stand.  As Samuel Johnson once said, in regard to something entirely different, it is ‘the triumph of hope over experience.’