Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
There are foods we eat that we associate with fond memories of our childhood with loved ones. But decades later when we taste them we realize that don’t taste as good but we eat them because of the association with our memories. A trip to the park included cheaply made chili dogs, small bag of Lance potato chips, and cans of Shasta or Check cola. As a kid it tasted fantastic. As an adult it is subpar. Looking back i can see that it was the best my parents could afford at the time. A cheap breakfast we enjoyed was homemade cornbread in a small bowl of milk to eat like a cereal.
My mom used to make mac and cheese. Unbaked, but smooth and, although not terribly creamy, it was very cheesy. It was so good, a comfort food. She used raw eggs in it, so it was a bit on the runny side. But it was delicious.
If I make it the way she made it, it’s probably less than sub-par.
Idk how much of that is because I don’t have a recipe (she never used one) or my lack of cooking skills. Or….maybe ingredients available now vs then.
Several times my mom made a dessert called "Yogurt Cream" from plain yogurt, sugar, vanilla, and gelatin. This mixture was poured into little molds, refrigerated until set and then turned out on a plate. I loved it, begged for it, but she only made it a few times.
Many years later I found her recipe and tried it, and the result was only 1/10 as good as I remembered.
I avoided posting in another thread of "best" meals/whatever.
The taste and experience of food is very different, even by the same individual, based on a bunch of factors.
Taste buds of a kid are highly tuned to sweet and fat, both needed for rapid growth. Bitter, in any form, is avoided.
An adult palate has a lot more nuance, taste for flavors that a kid might hate. I didn't care for "eewie-gooie" as a kid, but put a few escargot in front of me and I'm happy, same with frogs legs.
The level of hunger can be a big factor in tasting something new. If you are starving, shoe leather may taste good.
The ambiance is also an important factor. Associating a corn dog with a fair and lots of fun, is different than as an adult thawing a frozen corn dog to eat while watching the news.
Cost can be a factor, although it isn't for many. I've had some expensive meals. Yeah, those avoided the flaws of cheap food, but most of the time they were OK, but not memorable as food alone. There is only so much flavor in lettuce or celery.
Life is an experience. Food is an experience. Tastes change. That is probably a good thing.
Those Hostess fruit pies, “Ding Dongs” and “Twinkies” snacks from the ‘70’s. I enjoyed them tremendously while attending grade school. I tried a Hostess apple fruit pie about 10 years ago, and the taste, was frankly terrible. Lots of artificial flavoring.
“They don’t make ‘em like they used to!”
My late Dad prepared a Bolognese sauce that was awesome. Unfortunately, he’s gone, and took the recipe with him.
Those Hostess fruit pies, “Ding Dongs” and “Twinkies” snacks from the ‘70’s. I enjoyed them tremendously while attending grade school. I tried a Hostess apple fruit pie about 10 years ago, and the taste, was frankly terrible. Lots of artificial flavoring.
“They don’t make ‘em like they used to!”
At one time they used lard or Crisco and natural sugars but then switched to vegetable oils and high fructose corn syrup for longer shelf life and lost the quality. Instead of a huge amount of candies, the shelves at the register included individual fruit pies.
The difference in taste is very noticeable. I wish they kept the original recipe, but times change.
Quote:
Originally Posted by victimofGM
At one time they used lard or Crisco and natural sugars but then switched to vegetable oils and high fructose corn syrup for longer shelf life and lost the quality. Instead of a huge amount of candies, the shelves at the register included individual fruit pies.
The cheapest hot dogs, processed cheese slices individually wrapped, and mac & cheese out of a box. As kids we loved "hot dog night", I remember one day jumping up and down with excitement because we were having hot dogs for dinner. I now wonder if it was budget related, where money ran out for the week or month and all they could afford to feed us was the cheapest fodder. McDonald's or fast food was a special treat, maybe once a month at most. Strikes me as strange now that McDonald's food was used as a treat or a reward. Terrible! I never took my son to McDonald's. Not once.
I'm positive that my taste buds for sweet have changed since I was a kid, and is reflected in this list.
Drake's ring dings and Yodels. Frozen. After Drake's sold to Purina (Hostess) in the 80's, they were never the same. I still miss them.
Milk chocolate of any brand or type. I've always preferred dark, semi sweet, but now I'll just turn down milk chocolate if offered. Come to that, there are other candies I don't want to taste anymore (sweet tarts, Dots, Pez, and more).
Girl scout cookies, even the Thin Mints (plus I don't approve of the VERY small percentage of sales that actually go to Girl Scout programs).
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
