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The reason some vegetables (particularly tomatoes) taste fairly subpar in the United States is because of the journey they make to reach your salad. If the toma
by weisser 11y ago
The reason some vegetables (particularly tomatoes) taste fairly subpar in the United States is because of the journey they make to reach your salad. If the tomatoes are coming from across the country (or Mexico, or another nation) they are actually picked prematurely so instead of ripening on the vine they ripen during transit. If you've ever had a tomato that tastes "mealy" this is the reason.
This mass transportation of food over long distances explains why you can get an orange any time of the year in Boston but also why the quality can be so poor - you're far away from the source.
After moving to San Francsico (from Boston with it's crazy winters) where local produce is available pretty much year-round at the local food Coop, I've noticed a pronounced different in the average quality and notably lower prices.
- mcbrown 11y agoThe advantage of vine-ripening is a myth, as I have discovered first-hand by growing tomatoes in a home garden. For optimal flavor, tomatoes should be picked when they have just a slight blush of color but are still almost entirely green, and then finish ripening OFF the vine. When allowed to ripen on the vine their texture and flavor suffer - they tend to taste and feel almost rotten. The reason mass-market tomatoes taste worse, and your California tomatoes taste better, is because they are different varieties. The varieties that make it to e.g. Boston in the winter are selected to be edible after a long journey, not for flavor. The varieties that you get in San Francisco year-round are grown closer to their ultimate destination and can be selected more for flavor than for their ability to survive long journeys.
- weisser 11y agoYes, I meant to emphasize the long journey being the main factor.