What did I just say about taking responsibility... [ His exasperation is a bit wry, as if he still thinks this is part of some long-winded joke. ]

They use a lot of spices in Ma Jiang food. Other than that, it's pretty new to me.

[ But the fact that he knows that they use it in Ma Jiang food may imply that he likes it. Their extensive use of tea with their cuisine had gotten him interested early on. ]