Back in ye olde times, unless you were of the noble or upper class, food was basic sustenance. Flavor was secondary to the meal being cheap, filling, and as non-perishable as possible.
These days, for those of us privileged enough to live in affluent nations, the global supply chain has made even the most exotic ingredients available to any hobbyist chef with access to the internet.
It’s wonderful, but also overwhelming to our senses and our waistlines.
For example, I’ve been debating an order from a local artisanal donut shop all week. On one hand, I’m trying to fight back against the Quarantine 15. On the other hand, this week’s special flavors are oatmeal chocolate chip and coconut matcha.
Through experience, I had begun to be able to tell the difference between scratch and store-bought easily, and the latter wasn’t worth the calories.
Oh, there’s a new dessert bar that sells fresh-made waffles with artisanal ice cream and melted cookie butter drizzled on top? Sign me up for those extra pounds!
I’m just saying that moderation would be so much easier if our junk food kept on tasting like junk.
Any trend away from a billion different artificial colors, flavors, and iffy preservatives is good in my book. That last bit should be a delicious memory to savor and not leave that weird aspartame aftertaste.
