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I’ve been meaning to write this post for quite some time now because it seems that no matter what cookbook you read, website you search or recipe card you follow – recipes will taste differently every time.
Why is that?
Ever wonder?
Well, it’s pretty easy if you think about it.
Let’s start with an extreme example to get my point across. Sound good?
Great.
So, let’s say Betty Sue in Italy is trying a recipe in a famous cookbook that she just purchased. The recipe is quite simple but calls for balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt, pepper and canned tomatoes. Easy right?
So, Betty Sue goes out to her local market in Italy and purchases an expensive bottle of pure balsamic vinegar, fresh Meyer lemons, expensive Himalayan Pink Sea Salt, organic multi-colored peppercorns and a can of her favorite and expensive can of organic tomatoes.
Then, across the world another woman named Lauren lives in Tennessee and sees the same recipe in the same cookbook and decides to go to her local food store. She purchases a cheap bottle of balsamic vinegar because that’s the only thing the store sells, a bottle of murky lemon juice, table salt, cheap pepper and a can of .99 cent tomatoes.
What do you think happens here?
It’s pretty obvious that the woman in Italy’s recipe would turn out and taste better than the woman in Tennessee, right?
And on a less extreme level you could say that you and I have similar food stores but by purchasing a different brand of balsamic or canned tomatoes or salt would make our recipes taste completely different, as well.
Crazy, isn’t it?
I wanted to bring this up because last week I purchased a beautiful bottle of organic cinnamon and it tasted amazing and I only needed a pinch to create fabulous flavor. But, later that week I was going through my pantry and stumbled upon a cheap brand of cinnamon that I once loved – but it tasted so bland and blah. So, if I used this blah cinnamon in the recipes I’m following – it simply wouldn’t taste as delicious as if I used the organic flavorful cinnamon.
Such an interesting experiment, don’t ya think?
I like to do taste tests of numerous foods to see which ones I like the best. You can try it for yourself, too and you may be surprised which brands taste terrible and which taste great when you go from a spoonful of one to a spoonful of another!
Try setting up a taste test each week for yourself and your family. You can use staples such as salt, pasta, vegetable broth, tomato sauce, peanut butter, beans and breads. Place each brand of the item (such as salt) into small ramekins and mix them up so you have a blind test with the name of the brand on the bottom of the ramekin. Then taste each one and see what you like the best. You’ll be surprised to taste subtle and strong differences amongst the brands you choose.
Could be a fun idea for a salt-tasting party? Don’t ya think?
Invite over your friends and have them taste the different brands – it will create fun conversation and bring back memories of tastes when you were growing up or dining out or traveling to other states and countries.
What do you think? Do you taste a difference in staples that you purchase? Have you ever gone to the store and they didn’t have your favorite brand of peanut butter so you bought another one and were so grossed out that you threw it out? I’d love to hear your stories!
Another reason why recipes don’t always work is the person giving the recipe leaves an important step or ingredient out…sometimes on purpose in the South!
…and another reason recipes don’t turn out tasting the same is that lots of us refuse to measure! 😀 Oh well variety is the spice of life!
Yes, I more often then not notice differences in flavors of the various brands of food I buy. It can also change depending on where you buy it from (especially produce.) But even with that, I still generally buy just what I can afford.
Changes in recipes can always make a difference. It isn’t always the best to make it too. Yes, changing types will make it taste “new”. Different concepts, different styles. You have a nice website.
I never thought about how ingredients from different regions and different brands would cause a recipe to taste different. We are going to try this experiment this weekend as a family!!
That why I’ve never been able to duplicate my grandmother’s homemade chocolate cream pie. She cooked the filling and whipped the cream for the topping. Cool whip will never replace the real deal.
I agree that quality makes a big difference, especially with spices/seasonings.
Great post!
I created a yummy simple red chili recipe on a whim a few years back. It was a huge hit in my family because it turned out SO well! When I wrote it down for the future, I made sure I wrote the brands I used as well. I definitely agree – truly does make a difference! Thanks for the post.
Makes sense to me
Great post!
We started using Pink Himalayan Salt and I can really taste the difference.
It’s less salty somehow and therefore I get to decide to either use more of it in a recipe, or learn to live with less saltiness in my food 🙂
Option B chosen.
There are so many variables that can change a recipe completely. A tasting party would be fun!
oh , forgot , it was Wheat Grass Green Powder she was using.
Totally agree, was just talking to my daughter yesterday about this . She had made a raw food smoothie and commented on how good it tasted, I asked what brand of one Green Powder she used in it, since some don’t taste good in smoothies, she was under the impression that they were all the same and for me to “just buy one doesn’t matter”. I on the other hand , mentions that: not sure that they will all taste the same, not all vitamins/herbs etc are equal, but will do some research on it. So I totally see how certain ingredients can differ so much from one area to the other , one country to the other, and climate does affect things as well. Thanks for such Your blog and your post on this subject. 🙂
This is so true. It’s amazing how much better food tastes when quality food items are used instead of cheap generic brands. And with veggies, homegrown always taste so much better than the store-bought ones.
When buying processed foods such as canned tomatoes, I read the labels to see what additional ingredients are included. My rule of thumb is the fewer ingredients the better. I’ve found high quality items at the 99cent only store, so quality doesn’t have to be expensive.
This might be a whole different conversation, but I think the biggest thing for me is food quality overall in the US. Our culture is so used to mass produced, processed food, that many don’t even know what the real food tastes like. Even regular vegetables such as cucumbers and tomatoes from the store taste great, until I try the ones from my parent’s garden. We all know that fruits such as pineapple and bananas taste way better in the countries they come from. Even fast food tastes different in Europe, is that because they use more ‘real’ ingredients? We live in such a great country with so many opportunities, yet it seem like our standards for quality are so low.
this is so true!
Oh lordy, What a great comparison because this even happens if 2 people, side by side with the same ingredients cook or bake the same recipe. One may like one spice more than the other, thus altering the taste and texture, puree more or less changing the consistently, etc. different oven temp meaning gas or electric. even fridge or freezer can change how it thickens, chill or hardens. but totally on the different countries.
Great topics for new foodies to understand the why
What a lovely post and I love your photographs!! You are so right!! Some recipes don’t turn out the way they should and it could for all the reasons stated on your article. Food cooked in the microwave also tastes different to food cooked slowly on a cooker or Agha. However a lot also depends on how hungry you are – Often the food cooked simply with the least amount of spices etc. tastes great when you are hungry. For example – a simple beans on toast could taste like the meal from a 5 star restaurant if you are hungry.