4 ms·

Wouldn't be surprised if there's a relation between taste and nutritional value though.

by stinos 6y ago

kleiba 6y ago
Well, taste is subjective - nutritional value less so.
- stinos 6y ago
  True, but that's orthogonal. You could still set up double-blind studies comparing taste, I think.
  - kleiba 6y ago
    Of course, if you average subjectivity out, it's not longer there. But what's the point?
- coldtea 6y ago
  The kind of taste changes we're talking about here are not subjective though. E.g. they're not about "I like it more or less" but e.g. about the taste changing from sweeter to less sweet. For example tomatoes (it's covered in a few books on the subject) have lost a large part of their sugar content after the 80s due to mass market techniques and genes that yield more and less quickly riping ones, but of lower taste.
- 0-_-0 6y ago
  Taste is subjective only to a very small degree. Most people would dislike the taste of rotten meat or spoiled milk. If taste would be fully subjective it could serve no purpose and there would be no reason for its existence.
  - kleiba 6y ago
    I know you cannot be serious. If taste was not subjective there would hardly be the variety in meals we see all over the world. And yes, if you go to extremes like rotten meat, there is of course little dispute. However, many cultures have developed certain dishes that they consider delicacies while outsiders would find them revolting. But even from everyday experience, I'm sure even you will reassess your position if you think about it a bit more. Have you never had the experience that some food that you absolutely love and need others to try gets you little more than a shoulder shrug from someone else? Taste even changes over time which is another intuitive reason why your claim makes little sense. Do you remember the first time you've tried coffee or beer (if you drink those)? Most people are not too fond of these flavors at first, yet they drinks are among the most consumed beverages, at least in Western societies.

Wouldn't be surprised if there's a relation between taste and nutritional value though.

by stinos 6y ago

Wouldn't be surprised if there's a relation between taste and nutritional value though.

kleiba 6y ago

Well, taste is subjective - nutritional value less so.

stinos 6y ago
True, but that's orthogonal. You could still set up double-blind studies comparing taste, I think.
- kleiba 6y ago
  Of course, if you average subjectivity out, it's not longer there. But what's the point?
coldtea 6y ago
The kind of taste changes we're talking about here are not subjective though. E.g. they're not about "I like it more or less" but e.g. about the taste changing from sweeter to less sweet. For example tomatoes (it's covered in a few books on the subject) have lost a large part of their sugar content after the 80s due to mass market techniques and genes that yield more and less quickly riping ones, but of lower taste.
0-_-0 6y ago
Taste is subjective only to a very small degree. Most people would dislike the taste of rotten meat or spoiled milk. If taste would be fully subjective it could serve no purpose and there would be no reason for its existence.
- kleiba 6y ago
  I know you cannot be serious. If taste was not subjective there would hardly be the variety in meals we see all over the world. And yes, if you go to extremes like rotten meat, there is of course little dispute. However, many cultures have developed certain dishes that they consider delicacies while outsiders would find them revolting. But even from everyday experience, I'm sure even you will reassess your position if you think about it a bit more. Have you never had the experience that some food that you absolutely love and need others to try gets you little more than a shoulder shrug from someone else? Taste even changes over time which is another intuitive reason why your claim makes little sense. Do you remember the first time you've tried coffee or beer (if you drink those)? Most people are not too fond of these flavors at first, yet they drinks are among the most consumed beverages, at least in Western societies.