The other day I ordered a burger and they put tomatoes on it even though I asked them not to. I was about to complain, but decided to take a bite anyway and…huh. The tomato had no flavour whatsoever. I used to not like the taste of tomatoes but how could I object to this?

So what does this mean? Are my taste buds not functioning like they used to? But I spent lunch looking it up and apparently, there is a fair consensus that tomatoes, along with a host of other fruits and vegetables, really are blander today than when I was a kid. For something I never liked, this kind of works out but…

The fact that you don’t like tomatoes in of itself is proof that the problem is with your taste buds. Tomatoes are high glutamic acid (umami), and I’ve never heard of a person who didn’t like savory foods.

There’s a reason why MSG is making a comeback: because it tastes good (and because people are finally starting to figure out that its stigma is deeply-rooted in racism. It’s better for you than salt).