"I stand corrected." Hannibal nodded at him and tried not to sigh. "But yes, I suppose everything has a value. It's simply not always the driving force behind its consumption. Or even a strong consideration."

He shook his head. "Eating would be terribly dull if nutrition was our only worry. Nor would my dinner parties be quite so popular," he added. "But I'm curious about something you mentioned earlier - horror stories involving substitutes?"