When was the last time you had a carrot?  What about a pea?  Sweet potato?

Now when was the last time you had any of those vegetables plain?  And I mean plain.  No salt.  No sugar.  No butter.  No garlic.  Just the vegetable itself.

My wife recently started making baby food for our son and each item is essentially a puree of the vegetable or fruit, but that alone.  Absolutely nothing added.

After feeding these to my son for a few weeks I noticed that he reacted very differently to every food.  Some, like carrots, he seemed to tolerate, but others like sweet potatoes he couldn’t get enough of them. 

How could this be, I thought?  I mean, they’re all pureed vegetables, how different could they taste from each other?

So I tried them for myself.

I was amazed.  I couldn’t believe how flavorful they were, each with different notes that I’d never tasted before.  The peas were grassy and floral.  Carrots were slightly sweet but bright.  And no wonder the kid loves sweet potatoes.  They were amazingly sweet with earthy undertones you’d expect from a potato. 

Luckily for me, as my son grows, I’ll be able to experience a number of foods in their purest forms.  But I’d like to challenge you to do the same.  The next time you’re at the grocery store, grab some produce and try it without any modification, maybe some cooking, but nothing else.

You probably won’t be able to make a meal out of it, but you will get to know your food a little bit better than before.  I think you’ll find that’s a good thing and who knows, it might change the way you eat.  It will certainly change the way you taste.

Photo: moria