I was browsing Chowhound today and stumbled across this article, about the re-emergence of a fondness for bitter foods in the American palate.
My favorite line: "The country that invented American cheese, the Frappuccino, Jell-O, and Wonder Bread is finally discovering its dark side."
This article was particularly interesting for me because it's only been in the past few years that I've developed a palate that would accomodate a lot of these foods, and I attribute my growing love of good food to this phenomenon. A few years ago, I would have spat out a piece of dark chocolate, and I would have eaten a whole bag of M&Ms at once... now I keep really good dark stuff on hand at all times, and I rarely eat more than 2 squares at once. I just thought this was part of growing up, that your senses would mature, but this article sounds like it's something that's happening across the country in all age groups.
What are your thoughts on this article?
2 comments:
I've noticed the same - when I was younger I had a yen for the sweet stuff. Now I find a little sweet to be more than enough (unless it's creme brulee and then it's never ever enough) and I crave dark roast coffee and dark chocolate above most else. I like to think as I've grown older my palate has become more refined and appreciative of the depths of those strong flavors and the complicated way they react in the mouth, versus, say, marshmallows.
Speaking of dark chocolate, have you tried Vosges chocolate bars? I stumbled onto the Red Fire bar (dark chocolate, cinnamon, ancho and chipotle chili peppers) a year ago and am hooked - they sell them at Cardullo's. That and Naga (milk chocolate, coconut and curry) are my favorites.
What about really good, handmade marshmallows?
I haven't tried Vosges yet, although all the talk on Chowhound about the bacon bar has me really curious. I'll be in Harvard tonight, so I might make a stop in at Cardullo's to browse. I have read through their descriptions, though, and there are some really unique combos in there.
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