That all depends on where you get the raw foods. Ripe tomatoes just picked from the vine are an entirely different experience than ones that are picked hard and

That all depends on where you get the raw foods. Ripe tomatoes just picked from the vine are an entirely different experience than ones that are picked hard and green, shipped hundreds of miles, and then allowed to turn red before they are stocked on the grocery store shelf. Add to that the fact that grocery stores generally only stock varieties of produce that ship well and look nice, rather than ones that are grown specifically for flavor. The same applies to virtually all produce, in my experience. Disclosure: I have a back yard garden and fruit trees.