Is the produce in America not as good as other countries?

Question

A Cambodian girl gave me her pistachio nuts saying she didnt want them cause the ones in her country are so much better, but I, being american, have never taisted any different, I'd like to try it with out having to fly over seas.

Answer 1

Ours are as good if not better. Some people are just particular to their foods. Another example is how produce is grown from state to state. California has (in my opinion) the best produce - organic and inorganic. Texas leaves a bunch to be desired...

Answer 2

It really depends. On most of my trips overseas, the food has been better there than in the US because other countries are not genetically enhancing or altering their food to yield bigger crops as the larger farms here are.

When you do this...you make the same amount of soil produce twice or three times as much product and the flavors aren't as concentrated. Also the plant has to produce larger fruits/vegetables faster so the flavor can't develop.

It was the same when I went to visit my uncle's farm in the Southern US when I was younger. The things he grew on his farm always tasted better than the same items purchased from a supermarket.

In your friend's case it could very well have been the pistachios were better or, they may have been processed differently or may have just been a different kind of pistachio.

But for produce, since organic is so expensive, I try to get my fruits and vegetables from weekend farmer's markets. The produce is grown locally and is therefore fresher than anything you can get at a supermarket which is usually about 3 days old by the time it makes it to the aisles. They also don't usually have genetically altered produce so you'll get more of the true flavour.

Or you could grow some in your yard if you have one.

Answer 3

I think the produce here, in the US, for the most part is gross. I'm comparing this to other places I've been where they don't use harsh pesticides and you don't even have to ask if something is organic because everything is! And not just the produce, every food tasted better! The meat tasted different, like I guess it's suppose to without the hormones and steroids and the milk and dairy was better too for the same reason. And the eggs.....I don't really care for them but over there they tasted soooo good. They(chickens) are always free roaming farm raised, not put into little chicken coops and fed steroids to make them bigger.....I honestly believe all of these impurities in our food supply is why we have so much more illness and obesity then ever before -but just my opinion.

Huge difference.

Answer 4

Ive been living in Belgium for over a year now. I have to say that America produce is no-where close to the quality that I see and taste here. The broccoli is amazing. I mean I look forward to eating it. Normally i don't really like it but how often do you get really good broccoli. The same with fruit - oranges taste amazing as well as tomatoes. You can hardly ever find good tomatoes in the US anymore. We should be rioting in the streets. Come on people we should rise up like Lazarus and force them to give up some good food.

My 2 cents.

Answer 5

It is more of a personal choice and perference then anything else. The Cambodian girl you mentioned probably has an acquired taste and bias for her home-grown pistachios.

In addition, America produce has some of the strictest restrictions for pesticide use, growing practice, etc. when compared to other countries. So when compared to other countries, US growing practices are usually more regulated. This additional oversight provides US produce a great advantage over other countries when it comes to taste, quality, etc.

Answer 6

Produce in the US, Texas for example, has to travel a long way which takes time and is rough on the produce. That means only certain more robust varieties survive - in Texas, most tomatoes have tough skins.

It also means many products are picked before they are ready for sale. I live in Nicaragua and see the green 'export' bananas going out by the truckload. Locally, I can buy 10 other varieties that have better flavor and a thinner skin - they would never make it to the boat let alone to Albertsons.

Smaller countries, places closer to farms, get a wider variety and fresher.

Answer 7

Better or worse is a matter of personal taste. In the case of nuts, there are often many different varieties. If you can find them, it is worth trying more than one type. The US produces some of the finest products in the world. To sample the very best, buy what is in season locally.

To sample the products of other countries, you can go on line to companies like Melissa's. They handle rare and imported produce. Check out Saveur magazine, they have information different foods and on different vendors of unusual items.

Answer 8

Well, I live part time in the US, and part time in the UK, and have to say the UK veggies are far better than the US. The ones in the UK taste fresher, and there is more variety, especially with tender baby vegatable and english peas. The stuff in the US is the same old boring stuff-not a wide variety like in the UK. Also, when I visited Maui, I was impressed by the variety of the produce

Answer 9

I don't know where people are getting their produce, but I live in Texas and I think it's great. We buy a lot of produce at Sam's Club and they have huge strawberries and tomatoes still on the vine. All very tasty. I don't understand why people are saying the produce in the US is not good.

Answer 10

It depends on where you go. My grandparents live in the country in Mississippi, and they grow some of the best veggies around! Squash, Zucchini, Muscadines, Blueberries, etc. In general though, I'd imagine the toxins in the air are greater in America due to the highly industrialized areas and the pollution they give off. But don't let this deter you from thinking you CAN'T get good quality veggies in America!