I do believe the parent did mean specifically the base taste is less bland, independent of cultural factors. For someone who hasn’t experienced the taste differ

I do believe the parent did mean specifically the base taste is less bland, independent of cultural factors. For someone who hasn’t experienced the taste difference one might think ‘really, how much better can a tomato taste?’- but no the difference really is substantial, esp when comparing, say, a North American tomato and one from southern Europe.