4 ms·

It's interesting how bad incentives are when something with qualitative differences (flavor, heat) is sold by the pound. Making it more palatable expands the ma

It's interesting how bad incentives are when something with qualitative differences (flavor, heat) is sold by the pound. Making it more palatable expands the market up to a point, but so does requiring more peppers generally. The most durable countermeasure seems to be totally outside of the purview of economics: building up a culture of caring about the product. Like tomatoes in Italy, or coffee beans among coffee lovers. For heat we've mostly had to rely on serrano or (when in season here) the Hungarian wax pepper (varies wildly between 1k and 15k scoville)

hibikir 3y ago
There are agricultural products where price per bushel has to do with some grading, which is tested along in the supply chain. If I can easily, quickly, cheaply test for any trait, its value can be priced in. See how much apples have improved, given that we could tell varieties on sight, and people learn the properties that come with each variety. If you could tell whether a pepper's value in the scoville scale before buying, or the supermarket could accurately label things cheaply. the price differential, and therefore the quality, will follow.
NoboruWataya 3y ago
Are the incentives "bad", really? It seems like they are getting less spicy because that is what most people want. There seems to be an assumption that because Big Jalapeño are changing the flavour it must be for the worse. Personally I prefer spicier peppers but I am definitely an outlier amongst my friends at least. I don't know that we need countermeasures, as such. I think it's fine to have a very common, affordable product that is predictable and palatable to the masses alongside other more niche variants which are popular with "enthusiasts" (and therefore might be less widely available and more expensive). That's kind of how it is with coffee. Most people get theirs from Starbucks or some other big chain. I hate that stuff but they clearly like it, and I don't begrudge them it. As long as I am able to get my fruity single-origin light roasts. I guess maybe you don't have those niches in jalapeños (I don't know where I would go to get a spicier jalapeño) but as you mention, there are other peppers we can look to if spice is what we want.
- taeric 3y ago
  Coffee is a fun one, as I absolutely hate the taste of arabica coffee. And that seems to be universally the preferred family of coffee for the everyone.
  - lukas099 3y ago
    You do like robusta then? You're right, that is interesting. Saves you a lot of money I bet.
    - taeric 3y ago
      I mean, I'll take a latte either way. But if I'm drinking straight espresso or an americano, yeah, pretty much has to be robusta. Luckily, what has really saved money is that I don't get out of the house that often. Amusingly, it didn't save money to get started on a good espresso machine. That said, a few years in and I think it has more than paid for itself. I hate how hard it seems to be to find whole bean robusta. About the only reliable way I know is to buy death wish.
- mateo1 3y ago
  You make the assumption that consumers want what they buy, consumers will just buy what's in front of them. In places dominated by big supermarket chains consumers have a lot less choice than it seems, as marginal costs for shopping a few items from elsewhere are high.

hibikir 3y ago

There are agricultural products where price per bushel has to do with some grading, which is tested along in the supply chain. If I can easily, quickly, cheaply test for any trait, its value can be priced in. See how much apples have improved, given that we could tell varieties on sight, and people learn the properties that come with each variety. If you could tell whether a pepper's value in the scoville scale before buying, or the supermarket could accurately label things cheaply. the price differential, and therefore the quality, will follow.

NoboruWataya 3y ago

Are the incentives "bad", really? It seems like they are getting less spicy because that is what most people want. There seems to be an assumption that because Big Jalapeño are changing the flavour it must be for the worse. Personally I prefer spicier peppers but I am definitely an outlier amongst my friends at least. I don't know that we need countermeasures, as such. I think it's fine to have a very common, affordable product that is predictable and palatable to the masses alongside other more niche variants which are popular with "enthusiasts" (and therefore might be less widely available and more expensive). That's kind of how it is with coffee. Most people get theirs from Starbucks or some other big chain. I hate that stuff but they clearly like it, and I don't begrudge them it. As long as I am able to get my fruity single-origin light roasts. I guess maybe you don't have those niches in jalapeños (I don't know where I would go to get a spicier jalapeño) but as you mention, there are other peppers we can look to if spice is what we want.

taeric 3y ago
Coffee is a fun one, as I absolutely hate the taste of arabica coffee. And that seems to be universally the preferred family of coffee for the everyone.
- lukas099 3y ago
  You do like robusta then? You're right, that is interesting. Saves you a lot of money I bet.
  - taeric 3y ago
    I mean, I'll take a latte either way. But if I'm drinking straight espresso or an americano, yeah, pretty much has to be robusta. Luckily, what has really saved money is that I don't get out of the house that often. Amusingly, it didn't save money to get started on a good espresso machine. That said, a few years in and I think it has more than paid for itself. I hate how hard it seems to be to find whole bean robusta. About the only reliable way I know is to buy death wish.
mateo1 3y ago
You make the assumption that consumers want what they buy, consumers will just buy what's in front of them. In places dominated by big supermarket chains consumers have a lot less choice than it seems, as marginal costs for shopping a few items from elsewhere are high.