Changes in Food over the years

[rcp612]

I gotta add my thoughts.
While I was growing up many years ago, everything tasted good. But then we didn't have the advantage of genetically altered foods. Everything was natural as was intended.
I agree with you Hank, nothing tastes good anymore, and, I'm sure it's not our age.

[leehljp]

Misery loves company! Glad to know that I am not the only one seeing, ah, er, tasting the changes. Thanks for the info and links everyone. This is going to be a link that I am going to keep handy for reference, even though it wasn't my intent when I posted it.

AS to jkings reference:

The consumer generally buys on appearance. Tomatoes are a good example, not only are they picked green & gassed to turn red as Mildoc mentioned, but, the tomatoe varieties have been developed to withstand bruises better & for uniform appearance. Another example is red delicious apples. That variety has been developed over the years for size at the expense of taste.

About 3 or 4 years ago, I met a fellow from Malaysia who was in Japan studying Japanese rice production. He had his PHD in the area of rice breeding, and he told me some interesting facts about rice production - by country. The US and several other countries breed their seed for higher yield production as primary, and build in flavor, if any, as a secondary goal. But Japan and a couple of other countries breed their rice for flavor as primary and yield as a secondary goal. My kids LOVE Japanese rice and LOML and I do too. My youngest daughter still prefers rice without gravies or sauces. Japanese rices ala carte have a good flavor and taste, completely different from other world rices. It takes a little getting used to, but soon, the differences become readily apparent. For me, it was getting used to eating rice without gravy (in Japan) and learning to taste the rice itself.

Five years ago when we were home (Stateside) for several months, LOML cooked some rice and I asked her kindly to not use "instant rice" anymore. "It tastes like cardboard," I said. She replied, "That IS regular rice!" (USA rice).

[cabinetman]

My biggest gripe about the ripe is cantaloupe and honey dew melons that are picked far too early. With those a week in the fridge sometimes is not enough. You may even have to let them sit out on the counter top a few days. Ramble ramble food ramble.

+1. Same here. Its been a long time since scoring with a good tasting one. I've tried the in-store tests, like smelling the ends, and thumping. Got any better methods?

.

[RAFlorida]

Hank, you've pointed out about flavorless foods

and texture. I'm 67 (I think, don't keep count anymore) and have noticed that many foods are bland now as compared to years ago. Then my wife made a statement about how salty the bacon we usely buy was. We started comparing the foods and low and behold we noticed almost ALL foods have changed for the worst! Even bananas are to some extent, bland. Also, someone mentioned strawberries. I too remember when they were small and REALLY tasted like berries.
Is it because we have aged and lost some taste buds? Absolutely not! The food industry has implimented ways to speed up aging, curing so on. And this has caused some really nasty to completely rotten foods we taste!
If only to turn back the hands of time to the 50s...

[gsmittle]

I'm a relative young'un at 53 but I've noticed the trend also. When I can afford it, I buy my beef & pork from a local butcher. His stuff looks and tastes FAR better than what's in the supermarket.

Red delicious apples used to be my favorite, now they're anything but delicious; chalky and disgusting is a better description.

Jalapeños have no heat whatsoever. I always figured they were so bland so more people would buy for "nachos" or whatever. My in-laws are the only ones around here who grow the real deal—their jalapeños are hot, hot, hot! Must be the soil.

Perhaps the biggest problem with the declining flavor as everyone has said is the transportation issue. OTOH, food prices would probably be far higher if we'd stuck to mom 'n pop farms just outside of town.

No, I'm not a fan of factory farms, but they do have economy of scale.

g.

[Shep]

Part of the problem is the US consumer continues to buy "bad" products that are tasteless. While I can't speak for all foods mentioned, I agree that Jalapenos are not hot. Last year we grew our own in the garden and I would cut them up and eat them raw. Let me just say that I had to watch how many seeds I ate because I was sweating like I was in Hades.

We also grow our own tomatoes and green peppers because we use them a lot. The taste is much better too. I think that because the change has been gradual, most people don't notice it and over time have become use to it.

[Mr__Bill]

Watermelon!!

I have to agree with all that's been said and to add my gripe about seedless watermelon. The taste went with the seeds. I think it was about 95 that I had the last good tasting watermelon with seeds. As a kid my mother would buy about a melon a week as soon as the ripe ones arrived from South Dakota. At least that is where my dad said they came from. We had seed spitting contests off the dock at the lake and I expect that between watermelon and fresh southern Minnesota sweet corn I ate very little else for about two or three months.

Ever notice that the labels say "New and improved" and never "Better tasting"?

Bill
and don't even get me started on frozen pizza

[RAFlorida]

To go slightly off topic;

For those who find that Jalapeños are not as hot as you remember them, grow some habanero and be prepared to quench the heat with your favorite brew! On the Scoville scale, they register a respectable 100,000–350,000 in heat!
And Mr. Bill's sig about don't get started on frozen pizzas; I yet to find a frozen pizza that taste like a pizza. The last one we tried, I tasted the carton it came in and found that it had MORE flavor than the pizza itself...!

[MilDoc]

Part of the problem is the US consumer continues to buy "bad" products that are tasteless.

Do we have much choice? When I lived in Dallas I shopped the Farmer's Market (huge!) once a week. Nearest one to here is 50+ miles away.

Pity the younger generations who will never know the very flavorful and tasty foods we had in the 50s and 60s, and maybe some still in the 70s.

[gsmittle]

For those who find that Jalapeños are not as hot as you remember them, grow some habanero and be prepared to quench the heat with your favorite brew!

LOVE habañeros! They burn coming and going!

g.

[phrog]

+1. Same here. Its been a long time since scoring with a good tasting one. I've tried the in-store tests, like smelling the ends, and thumping. Got any better methods?

.

Honey Dew is my favorite melon. Last year I scored about a dozen from Publix. I was told they buy the entire crop of "Great West" honey dews. (My memory ain't very good any more but it is Something West and I believe Great West.) I was recently told they would come in in mid July. The ones I had last year were almost as big as a basketball and tasted like the old-time honey-dews.

[Pappy]

I will add another gripe to the list! (Appologies if already mentioned and I missed it.)

Sitting on my 'puter table this morning was a box of Devil's Food cookies (My favorite) the wife picked up at the store last night and left as a surprise for me.

Prominently displayed on the box is "97% Fat Free / No Cholesterol / Low Sodium"

'Scuse the 'ell out of me....It's a CHOCOLATE COVERED, CHOCOLATE COOKIE! You want health food, chow down on some raw veggies or eat some seaweed.....

[Black wallnut]

I'm a relative young'un at 53 but I've noticed the trend also. When I can afford it, I buy my beef & pork from a local butcher. His stuff looks and tastes FAR better than what's in the supermarket.

Red delicious apples used to be my favorite, now they're anything but delicious; chalky and disgusting is a better description.

Jalapeños have no heat whatsoever. I always figured they were so bland so more people would buy for "nachos" or whatever. My in-laws are the only ones around here who grow the real deal—their jalapeños are hot, hot, hot! Must be the soil.

Perhaps the biggest problem with the declining flavor as everyone has said is the transportation issue. OTOH, food prices would probably be far higher if we'd stuck to mom 'n pop farms just outside of town.

No, I'm not a fan of factory farms, but they do have economy of scale.

g.

'round here the best reds go for export! They do have plenty of flavor. I have noticed the decline in taste in beef. Pork on the other hand seems to usually have good flavor. Fresh fruit and veggies from my local grocery stores have had good flavor lately. Had some strawberries a few weeks ago that were huge but also tasted like the ones I used to pick at a farm near my home town for jam making. Chicken is one meat that has lost all flavor to me. In the summer we have a farmers market where I can purchase tomatoes with flavor.

[cwsmith]

FOOD and it's poor taste and quality (at least natural quality) has been a pet peeve of mine for the last couple of decades. Especially bread and baked goods.

I am thankful that the LOML loves to bake, but she also complains that you simply can't find quality ingredients anymore. Eggs that are tasteless, flour that is inconsistant and even simple thinks like baking powder and "Crisco".

I also have a problem with vegetables and meats and I can't remember when the last time was that I had a really good potato.

I think the problem is largely due to the simple fact that it is rare when you find anyone who really cares. So many meals are eaten in fast food restuarants that the whole expectation of such things have pretty much gone away, especially for most peope under sixty or so.... they just don't know any better.

The other part of the problem is that practically all the best of the food meat and vegetable production goes to restaurants. We have a couple of chefs and restauranteur's on my wife's side of the family. They usually though a couple of summer parties and the food is simply spectacular. I recall being told by one Uncle, a couple of decades ago, that the meat selection available to everyday grocery chains is a few steps away from "prime" as are the vegetables.

Very few stores buy anything locally and thus there are practically no local produce farmers here in NY's southern tier. Rich farm country for sure and you can see lots of vacant, overgrown fields, but the "farmers market" and the days when you used to buy eggs and dairy products that were locally produced are long gone. There are quite a few dairies in the area, but none market their own products. Cheese and yogart companies buy all the production available and go throug whatever processes and mixes they have for distribution to the chains. (And, with the "chain" buying power, the local dairy producers certainly don't get rich!)

Personally, I'm sick of buying "Macarony and Cheese" in which there is not even a hint of a chees taste. Or "Cranberry Coctail" juice that is mostly apple juice. I used to buy those little Banquet dinners, as they made for quick lunch, but have you noticed that they've even taken to not identifying the item.... not simply calling it a "meat" product.

Just yesterday, I decided to make a couple of hamburgers for Saturday's supper (Saturday is our off-day, as it's when we do most of our shopping.) Looking at sliced cheese in the store (for a cheeseburger), I made the mistake of reading the ingredients... it's very disappointing. But not nearly as much as the overpriced 80% ground beef, which has no taste and not surprisingly, no clear channel of origin. Long gone are the days when you can complain to the grocer, he's gets his stuff through "corporate". You can't go back to the local farmer, as he's long since died in poverty and now the "source" is somewhere out there on the other side of the country or the world and that farmer and his hands works for a "suit" in a corporate office or a chemistry lab.

Sadly, I can only reminisce. What have we done to ourselves and our food and perhaps worse... our own expectations?

CWS

[scmhogg]

Just this week, I received 1/8th of a steer from Hearst ranch, next to Hearst Castle here in California. It was pricey. But what a difference. The beef is grass fed and finished. Even the ground beef is dark in color and very flavorful. It cost $380.00 for just over 40 lbs, delivered.

LOML and I had a bone in ribeye steak the first night. It was tender and tasty. I'm afraid I'm hooked.

Steve