"When they're properly ripe," he says, "they're delicious and sweet and soft." Just before that, though, they're wretched. Komarov learned to tell from the first bite whether it'd be bliss or blah ...

not-too-soft rotting fruit texture. It's similar to human tongues being able to register both taste and texture. "In the maggot," says Komarov, "what was thought to be an exclusively taste organ ...

not-too-soft rotting fruit texture. It's similar to human tongues being able to register both taste and texture. "In the maggot," says Komarov, "what was thought to be an exclusively taste organ is ...