The bitter dilemma of choosing a pack of industrial cookies

The world is divided between supertasters and non-tasters. The former, due to genetics, have up to sixteen times more taste buds on the front of their tongue than the latter, the non-tasters, and this allows them to better perceive the bitter taste of food and drinks. These latter are the ones who, from a young age, eat all kinds of vegetables without a problem. So much so that there was a moment in history when some scientists believed that paternity tests could be done by checking who in the family liked the bitter taste, says the English psychologist from the University of Oxford Charles Spence. If the child did not like broccoli, because vegetables are bitter and, on the contrary, the father loved it, it could be that he was not the biological father. Fortunately, all this was an idea that science had in the thirties of the last century; today, it is the food industry that benefits from the distinction of humans between supertasters and non-tasters. So, currently, if the child at home likes vegetables and the father does not, the only possible thought is that the new generations are wise.Let's focus on the industry. What does the industry do to profit from the known distinction between those who like bitter taste and those who don't? It brings two versions of the same product to market. Have you ever gone to buy a package of cookies and found that the same brand has different types? The name or color has changed, but you can't quite figure out what the difference is.The tag, not very specific

“On the label it doesn’t say and companies simply let the market segment itself”, says Charles Spence, who also comments that the industry knows that the phrases zero fat or low sugar make food perceived as having less flavor. Storytelling is basic in life in general, and when eating, too. Even in the dishes we prepare ourselves at home, because this makes us believe that what we eat is better. Tell people at home that you have cooked the best meatballs in the world because you have put effort and love into them, and you will see how they eat them more happily.We return to the cookies. There are so many types that it's hard for us to choose some, but the same thing happens with jars of tomato sauce, guacamole, hummus, aioli, pesto, and many other processed foods that the industry has rushed to produce because it believes it makes people's lives easier. I pause: think that making them at home means we will use few ingredients (sometimes only four) and, therefore, they will be healthier. If you are, then, among those who don't know which cookies to choose because you don't see any difference beyond the packaging changing minimally, think that the industry is looking for its niche in your choice. It hopes that one day you will choose some and, the next day, others, and that you will then compare which ones you liked best. They seek to know if you are supertasters, with a genetically developed bitter taste because your ancestors could quickly distinguish if a food was bitter and, therefore, poisonous. If the dilemma overwhelms you, remember that to make cookies at home you just need to mix these ingredients: flour, sugar, egg, and yeast. If you want chocolate and hazelnut cookies, add these two ingredients. Give them the characteristic round shape and then put them in the oven at 150 °C or 170 °C for a few minutes. And that's it. A cookie shouldn't sour our lives.

Chocolatier Miquel Guarro proposes making chocolate and hazelnut cookies at home