647657 Wed Aug 26 10:22:04 -0700 2009 11 33 Food Media and News 0 4979569 I found this article to offer a really interesting perspective http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2009/08/26/matching_locally_grown_food_from_here_and_some_from_abroad/ They made the same dish twice, once with locally grown foods, once with supermarket ingredients. There are some interesting aspects to the "chef/foodie" tastebuds vs. "common man" tastebuds, but what I found really fascinating was this section: "At one point during the evening, a couple of the professional foodies decide, as a local rack of pork is brought out, that it can’t be local (we learn later that it is). The meat is big, glistening with fat and juices, and has beautifully parallel bones and a photo-ready shape. It’s too pretty. “Hormones,’’ says one foodie under her breath. Actually, it’s naturally raised pork from Tendercrop. The other pork roast - smaller, lumpy, and oddly shaped - is from a Midwest processing plant. “Obviously this is the naturally raised one. It’s smaller,’’ offers the foodie (wrong again). With expectations switched, the foodies sing the praises of the factory meat. “Notes of grass that the pig ate,’’ “floral,’’ “fit,’’ “happy.’’ And offer mixed reviews of the local nicer-looking one they think they should dislike (“tastes like chicken,’’ “sawdust,’’ and, inexplicably, “OK in a Proustian way.’’). Non-foodie April Harrington isn’t having it. “The bigger one tastes better. It’s juicer, and I like it better.’’ Both were good, but I agree with Harrington. The Tendercrop Farm rack is juicier, with a fresh, light aroma, great texture, and delectable fat. The commodity pork is expertly prepared but by comparison bland, and, apparently, ready for over-interpretation." Now, I'm a huge proponent of locally grown foods, and I absolutely KNOW the meat I get from my local meat purveyor is heads and shoulders above what I used to buy at the supermarket- especially the pork. But it does seem there is a psychological association here- we convince ourselves that the local meat is going to taste better... and it does. Even if it's not. Wed Aug 26 10:22:04 -0700 2009 10027 Chris VR 1 4979686 It is very common for humans to adjust their judgements to meet expectations. In the area of taste judgement label bias in wine tastings has been demonstrated numerous times. Here is a study (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T0P-4MR86MM-3&_user=1111158&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=991785015&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000051676&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=1111158&md5=8c5265e7b3d0abe92f42fff534248ada) recently done at Cornell where the exact same wine (an inexpensive Charles Shaw) was served to diners but identified as coming from either California or North Dakota. Guess which received higher marks. Here is a link (http://www.physorg.com/news105623535.html) to a short news story about that study. Wed Aug 26 10:51:35 -0700 2009 4979569 161386 kmcarr 1 4979692 Absolutely - I recall reading or hearing something similar elsewhere recently, where all testers were given non-organic produce, but half were told it was organic. That group rated the produce higher than the group that had not been told that. Wed Aug 26 10:52:48 -0700 2009 4979569 10985 MMRuth 1 4979719 reminds me of the Cornell study from a couple of years ago that illustrated how the label on a bottle of wine can influence one's perceptions about the wine and the experience of drinking it... http://www.physorg.com/news105623535.html Wed Aug 26 11:01:02 -0700 2009 4979569 103920 goodhealthgourmet 1 4979734 My mother used to make decaffeinated coffee at the end of dinner parties. A frequent refrain was "Oh, Frances, I won't sleep a wink all night but your coffee is too good to resist." And they probably didn't sleep :) The mind is a powerful tool. I once had a lab acccident when I worked at CDC. Although the treatment was 100% effective, my boss assured me that everyone developed symptoms by the end of the incubation period. Sure enough, I did, but at least I knew:) Wed Aug 26 11:05:28 -0700 2009 4979569 131001 c oliver 2 4979758 I remember reading about studies years ago where people who drank decaf but thought it was caffeinated coffee felt just as alert, etc as when they drank caffeinated coffee. In this case, it's not just adjusting taste perception based on expectations as with local/organic/wine label cited by posters above, but a placebo effect with regard to ingesting a drug '(caffeine). Wed Aug 26 11:13:34 -0700 2009 4979734 10074 Caitlin McGrath 1 4980087 Folks have the same experience when they pay $200 a person for a meal. The food MUST be amazing... Wed Aug 26 12:29:41 -0700 2009 4979569 10169 StriperGuy 2 4980128 i might have to disagree with you on this one. perhaps it's just me, but i've had my share of disappointing bank-breaking meals...in fact, i think i'm even *more* critical when the price tag is extremely high. Wed Aug 26 12:40:12 -0700 2009 4980087 103920 goodhealthgourmet 3 4980219 I think we, while perhaps in the same camp, are the exceptions. Wed Aug 26 13:02:48 -0700 2009 4980128 10169 StriperGuy 4 4980364 I did order (what I thought was) the cheapest bottle of Champagne once at a lovely restaurant in London - -not realizing that the price on the menu stated was for a split!!! - We actually ordered a VERY expensive (for me!) bottle of champagne! When we got the bill and I saw the price- I did say - if I knew it cost $$$ - I I would have enjoyed it a whole lot more!!! And I probably would have! Wed Aug 26 13:45:13 -0700 2009 4980219 174753 NellyNel 1 4986093 I have a hard time taking a "professional foodie" seriously when they attribute the size and appearance of a pork roast to hormones. Pigs in the US are not fed hormones to increase or speed their growth. Fri Aug 28 10:50:40 -0700 2009 4979569 135311 mpjmph 1 4986240 I think this is part of Anthony Bourdain's (albeit snarky) point about Alice Waters and the locavore movement taken to the extreme. Fri Aug 28 11:25:46 -0700 2009 4979569 77061 bear