Except for my taste in very nice shoes, I'm really not a flashy guy, so it feels weird to say that I'm a big part of what we do here at Taste. But as the HBIC (head buyer in charge), I guess that is the case, and so I want to share a little about how we choose our products.
Durian, the "King of Fruits"Even though we're online, a huge inspiration for me is the farmer's market. Besides getting your food in season, you get a chance to know the people. There, you aren't just buying a peach, you're buying a peach from this farm, grown in a specific place, using specific methods and cared for by specific people… and those people are there to stand behind their products, to share cooking tips and to talk to you about what makes their product special.
Yes, the food has to be spectacular, but for me, it's as much about the people. About their stories. About helping to uphold these growers and artisans' traditions and preserving disappearing arts. But sometimes it's easier to get that across by telling you what we're not about, so I also want to show you some things we'll never sell.
Ice
I know the hot thing in cocktail culture is using fancy hand-carved ice, but I don't care. I am not selling bags of ice. It's not that there isn't amazing ice out there or even that the shipping would be impossible. It's that it's showy for showy's sake, and I just want to make sure I can always look my kid in the eye without feeling the shame of selling frozen water at $20 a pound. I also don't want to have to deal with ice farmers. I can't imagine they're a fun bunch.
Durian
Selling durian, the "King of Fruits," online would be the pinnacle of shipping operational excellence. If we can package something that is perishable, weighs as much as a bowling ball, has nail-sharp spines and all the while deal with the fact that it smells so much like rotting onions that it's routinely forbidden in public places in Asia, we'd be superstars. And we're too modest to call ourselves superstars.
Bananas
The fact is, for the most part, a banana is a banana. No, I'm not talking about Burros, Plantains, or Red Bananas. And definitely not Manzano bananas, Golden Beauty bananas, Lady Fingers or the Tetraploid Musa Acuminata (what?). I'm talking about the iconic banana, the one in your splits: the Yellow Cavendish. The Yellow Cavendish makes up 95 percent of all bananas in the United States. They are in every grocery in America, and they are just fine the way they are. If something's not really better than what anyone can get, we're not selling it.
Biscuit Mix
Look, I'm all for providing convenience – I mean, we're selling stuff on the Internet; you don't even have to push a cart! But, I'm sorry, a mix based on about six ingredients, four of which I guarantee are already in your kitchen, is a bridge too far. Don't believe me? Here's a great five-ingredient recipe, and if you're ready to go the extra mile (more like extra foot) and mix up your own baking powder, here's an amazing one.
Genetically engineered glow-in-the-dark pork
Sure, genetic engineered food is scary stuff. But you can't tell me that I'm the only person who wants to see these glow-in-the-dark pigs for real. You'll never have to grope in the dark for your ribs again! I'd sell these in a heartbeat. The only problem is I can't find them! (I kid, I kid!)
Non-dairy creamer
We're proud to offer only foods from serious craftspeople, so obviously non-dairy creamer has no place here. I mean obviously, except for the fact that every morning, I heap spoon after spoon of it into my coffee. It's my guiltiest pleasure, and to avoid ridicule, I hide it in a drawer behind boxes of organic cookies and artisan chocolates. Still, if it were really up to me, we'd be sending a can of the stuff out for free with every order.
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