Minties and Fanta.

I’ve been asked about this, before. Primarily, I have been asked, “what the hell is a Mintie?”

Minties must be unique to Australia.

They’re a brand-name individually-wrapped sweet put out by Allans’ lollies. They look like a very small fire lighter cube and taste like an explosion of mint. Chewing them is like trying to bite through a half-frozen sausage. Don’t try it if you have temporary fillings.

Fanta is everywhere. Get the orange stuff, as that was all that was around when I discovered the taste thrill.

Work your mintie [or mintie substitute] into softness. This can take some time and is an excellent workout for the jaw muscles.

Now take a swig of fizzy orange drink.

After you get feeling back in your tongue, you’ll be aware of a new state of wakefulness that comes with the mint burnout in your mouth.

This is how I stayed awake during marathon programming sessions when I was in university. I got understandably loopy throughout the days/weeks.

Now are you glad it’s only caramel mochachinos?