Breeding for appearance has led to flavorless produce from "summary" of The Dorito Effect by Mark Schatzker
In the pursuit of perfect-looking fruits and vegetables, flavor has taken a backseat. This quest for flawless appearance has resulted in produce that lacks the rich, complex flavors that were once abundant in our food. The imbalance between appearance and taste is a direct result of selective breeding practices that prioritize visual appeal over flavor. Through careful selection of certain genetic traits, breeders have created fruits and vegetables that are uniform in size, shape, and color. While this may make for an aesthetically pleasing product, it often comes at the cost of taste. The genetic modifications made to enhance appearance have inadvertently diminished the natural flavors that were once characteristic of these foods. As a society, we have become accustomed to prioritizing appearance over taste when it comes to our food choices. We have been conditioned to believe that a perfect-looking apple or tomato is superior to one that may be slightly misshapen but bursting with flavor. This disconnect between appearance and taste has led to a decline in the quality of our produce and ultimately, our overall eating experience. The consequences of breeding for appearance are far-reaching, extending beyond just fruits and vegetables. This focus on looks over flavor has permeated the entire food industry, leading to an abundance of bland, tasteless products on supermarket shelves. The obsession with visual perfection has overshadowed the importance of flavor in our food, resulting in a generation of consumers who are settling for less when it comes to taste.- We must shift our focus away from appearance and towards taste. By valuing flavor above all else, we can begin to prioritize the quality of our food and rediscover the rich, complex tastes that nature intended. Only by recognizing the role that breeding for appearance has played in the decline of flavor can we hope to reverse this trend and restore the true essence of our food.
