Why products are so tasteless?

[Oldvatr]

Guys, it's not the medication or anything else, it's that the manufacturer use the worst ingredients, plus they have strategy to blunt tastes so that they won't disturb the sensitive british tongue, plus they sweeten everything. The oil in every supermarket's olive pots is the lowest quality. The same tasteless **** is used in the restaurant at work and I cannot enjoy a well seasoned salad there. It's always the profit above all. If the oil is not EVOO, it cannot be used for salad!

What do you get if you take a box of paints, and mix them all together? You get grey! Ergo, hence the blandness. We are an eclectic mix of peoples from around the world. Stop dissin us, please,

 

[covknit]

Guys, it's not the medication or anything else, it's that the manufacturer use the worst ingredients, plus they have strategy to blunt tastes so that they won't disturb the sensitive british tongue, plus they sweeten everything. The oil in every supermarket's olive pots is the lowest quality. The same tasteless **** is used in the restaurant at work and I cannot enjoy a well seasoned salad there. It's always the profit above all. If the oil is not EVOO, it cannot be used for salad!

Yes all of that but businesses first duty is to their shareholders. Not their customer. Not their staff. So aiming at a product with the lowest price ingredients aimed at a large but the least discerning sector of the market is good business strategy and fulfills their legal obligation. Why waste life trying to change that?
If people have taste buds attuned to those products they can go anywhere, grab anything and be satisfied. Is that not easier than trying to find something tasty outside the limited suburbs served by a good deli? Think on the taste of bread or fish and chips. It is possible for bread to be relly tasty but it is best for me to forget that and focus on the other stuff. Cooked fish and deep fries done well can be delicious but comparing the meal produced by someones local chippie with fresh caught fish, minimally fried and served with fresh ingredients is not going to go down well. Then there is the question of what time frame are you talking about? You are opening a can of worms For the past decade + that long standing traditional British dish Chicken Tikka has been a top five national favourite. Outside the papers than favour the great British roast and fish & chips curry is often the most popular best meal. I think this selection is a good cross selection but I have tasted some awful spag bogs and few (if any) that taste better than my home made. I have never ever enjoyed a toad in the hole http://pocketcultures.com/2009/04/27/britains-10-favourite-foods/ but I am sure someone somewhere makes it well

 

[GrantGam]

Guys, it's not the medication or anything else, it's that the manufacturer use the worst ingredients, plus they have strategy to blunt tastes so that they won't disturb the sensitive british tongue, plus they sweeten everything. The oil in every supermarket's olive pots is the lowest quality. The same tasteless **** is used in the restaurant at work and I cannot enjoy a well seasoned salad there. It's always the profit above all. If the oil is not EVOO, it cannot be used for salad!

Our apologies. Excuse us all for being incorrect...

Sweeping generalisations are a bit daft though and are best avoided; or at least backed up with more than opinion Preparing meals from fresh produce is half the battle, it will work wonders for your health also.

In all seriousness though, if you can't make a wonderful meal from some of our fresh home grown ingredients; or any of the imported international ingredients; then there is something terribly wrong with your taste and/or your cooking skills. The latter can be improved, the former will likely require a consult with your doctor.

 

[azure]

Guys, it's not the medication or anything else, it's that the manufacturer use the worst ingredients, plus they have strategy to blunt tastes so that they won't disturb the sensitive british tongue, plus they sweeten everything. The oil in every supermarket's olive pots is the lowest quality. The same tasteless **** is used in the restaurant at work and I cannot enjoy a well seasoned salad there. It's always the profit above all. If the oil is not EVOO, it cannot be used for salad!

You've moved on from shop foods to the food at work.

I think the problem is you're visiting the wrong shops. theres plenty of food with a lot of taste in Britain. Even near me, I can buy a selection of delicious olives, continental sausages, a huge variety of cheeses. Perhaps you should try looking a bit further afield?

I notice you didn't respond to the thread I linked to. That had plenty of interesting and useful information. What did you think of it? The OP had a strikingly similar problem to you.

 

[Rabdos]

Yes all of that but businesses first duty is to their shareholders. Not their customer. Not their staff. So aiming at a product with the lowest price ingredients aimed at a large but the least discerning sector of the market is good business strategy and fulfills their legal obligation. Why waste life trying to change that?
If people have taste buds attuned to those products they can go anywhere, grab anything and be satisfied. Is that not easier than trying to find something tasty outside the limited suburbs served by a good deli? Think on the taste of bread or fish and chips. It is possible for bread to be relly tasty but it is best for me to forget that and focus on the other stuff. Cooked fish and deep fries done well can be delicious but comparing the meal produced by someones local chippie with fresh caught fish, minimally fried and served with fresh ingredients is not going to go down well. Then there is the question of what time frame are you talking about? You are opening a can of worms For the past decade + that long standing traditional British dish Chicken Tikka has been a top five national favourite. Outside the papers than favour the great British roast and fish & chips curry is often the most popular best meal. I think this selection is a good cross selection but I have tasted some awful spag bogs and few (if any) that taste better than my home made. I have never ever enjoyed a toad in the hole http://pocketcultures.com/2009/04/27/britains-10-favourite-foods/ but I am sure someone somewhere makes it well

And I thought customers are their first priority! At least that's what they announce most of the time.

 

[Oldvatr]

And I thought customers are their first priority! At least that's what they announce most of the time.

Next time you are served badly at the till of a supermarket, it may be worth reminding the staff member

"I am Profit - You are Overhead"

I would like to make the point that here in the UK we do not grow olives. We do not make Olive Oil, We import Olive Oil. So if the Olive Oil is ****, then it is down to the country of origin for selling their O.O. lake off at less than cost price, This is a well known problem with th EU Common Agriculture Policy. (see also wine lake, butter mountain) We should not be constrained by this for much longer, I believe. Maybe Brexit will do some good after oil.

People tend to vote with their wallet, so yes, refining a product to the point of blandness makes sense if it reduces end user cost. Simple economics.

 

[Rabdos]

Let's hope then Brexit will bring us good oil at least!

 

[Oldvatr]

Let's hope then Brexit will bring us good oil at least!

Like this?
https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-basics/more-misinformation-olive-oil-rachael-ray/53287

 

[Rabdos]

Like this?
https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-basics/more-misinformation-olive-oil-rachael-ray/53287

Didn't get what you want to say? That oil colour is not criterion of quality? So?

 

[Oldvatr]

Didn't get what you want to say? That oil colour is not criterion of quality? So?

No the message is that EVOO is a term invented quite recently by a food blogger, and is not actuallly a recognised controlled standard, It is a slang term, so if you are using this as a means of determining product quality then no wonder you are having difficulty. The term is relatively meaningless and EVOO marketed bottles may not be any better than industrial processed oil,

 

[Chook]

There's an old saying 'you pays your money and takes your choice' - which means, basically, if you pay next to nothing you will get indifferent food. How do you think food producers make a profit? If they pay the extra to produce the finest products then (rightfully) they should expect us consumers to pay top dollar. You can find the best of the best at farmers' markets and independant delis and butchers but you will pay for it (and rightfully so). If you want to pay next to nothing then don't be surprised if its been processed in to a product that appeals to the masses who aren't prepared to pay more than bargain basement prices. And rightfully so.

 

[covknit]

And I thought customers are their first priority! At least that's what they announce most of the time.

I think that is what is known as PR. I think PR translates to BS, lies, contempt and a way of transferring what might become taxable profit into the hands of another entity. I certainly have never felt large business concerns have a particular interest in looking after me or my family. Or at least an interest beyond making my bank account lighter.

 

[covknit]

Let's hope then Brexit will bring us good oil at least!

How does that theory work? The only theory I have heard so far is the opposite but that was specific to Italy.

 

[covknit]

There's an old saying 'you pays your money and takes your choice' - which means, basically, if you pay next to nothing you will get indifferent food. How do you think food producers make a profit? If they pay the extra to produce the finest products then (rightfully) they should expect us consumers to pay top dollar. You can find the best of the best at farmers' markets and independant delis and butchers but you will pay for it (and rightfully so). If you want to pay next to nothing then don't be surprised if its been processed in to a product that appeals to the masses who aren't prepared to pay more than bargain basement prices. And rightfully so.

How do I find a good farmers market? I have been to several but have yet to find one to better a good deli so I have got fed up of having to give up hours of my life to trek to and around them. I would much rather go directly to a nearby deli to see what they have of interest although it is much easier to go to the supermarket out of hours and get everything I want in one shop. I gave up on the good food show years ago and even with the stupid drive around the site that is less than 10 miles from where I live

 

[Oldvatr]

How do I find a good farmers market? I have been to several but have yet to find one to better a good deli so I have got fed up of having to give up hours of my life to trek to and around them. I would much rather go directly to a nearby deli to see what they have of interest although it is much easier to go to the supermarket out of hours and get everything I want in one shop. I gave up on the good food show years ago and even with the stupid drive around the site that is less than 10 miles from where I live

Choices become simpler when all you have is your trusty steed, aka mobility scooter. or Shank's Pony. Impossible for me on my Zimmer Frame.

 

[Rabdos]

No the message is that EVOO is a term invented quite recently by a food blogger, and is not actuallly a recognised controlled standard, It is a slang term, so if you are using this as a means of determining product quality then no wonder you are having difficulty. The term is relatively meaningless and EVOO marketed bottles may not be any better than industrial processed oil,

That is utter BS. Where do you find such information?

Olive oil quality classification is specified with great detail in legislation of several countries.
http://www.internationaloliveoil.org/estaticos/view/83-designations-and-definitions-of-olive-oils
https://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/product-grade-definitions#grades

 

[azure]

Didn't get what you want to say? That oil colour is not criterion of quality? So?

What colour are you looking for - greener?

 

[Oldvatr]

That is utter BS. Where do you find such information?

Olive oil quality classification is specified with great detail in legislation of several countries.
http://www.internationaloliveoil.org/estaticos/view/83-designations-and-definitions-of-olive-oils
https://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/product-grade-definitions#grades

You win.

It is a bit like the AHA telling us to use vegetable oil as being the safest, but coconut oil is a killer, Why? because they are sponsored by the Canola Institute, and the Americn Grain Association, who obviously have no question of bias, America does not grow coconuts, so coconut oil has to be imported, No money to be made in it.

Yes the EU does specify the oleic acid content but does this define quality, I wonder?, This seems to be the only thing that is controlled by EU regs, but EU has different limits. At least the two agree on what is deemed unpalatable and not for human consumption (>/= 3,3g per 100g)

 

[LittleGreyCat]

Shop in Waitrose, M&S, and any local delis if you are lucky enough to find a good one.

Good quality tasty food is available but if you are cash strapped and live in an area where the demographic in general doesn't want to buy upmarket food then you are a bit stuffed.

It might help your case if you named locations, stores and products instead of just grumbling that everything is bad because it is British.

Plenty of Polish stores if you don't like British food (whatever that is).

 

[Chook]

We have some pretty amazing farmers' markets up here in Yorkshire - which, coincidentally, supply a lot of the local delis.

Be brave, branch out and try different sellers and then make your own choices. If you want everything to taste amazing at a low cost then it just isn't going to happen.