came with civilization. We discovered that burning a seed or fermenting a bean could create complexity. The Silk Road was built on the fantasy of black pepper and cinnamon. We learned to manipulate nature.
was the Industrial Revolution and the modern grocery store. We created artificial strawberry, MSG-laced chips, and cheeses that never touch a cow. It was delicious, but hollow. The Intoxicating Flavor Version 4.0 Fantasies
This is intoxicating on a philosophical level. It separates the qualia of taste from the biology of digestion. It asks: If you can feel the intoxication of a fine wine without the hangover, have you actually consumed it? In the fantasy, yes. Of course, no article about these fantasies is complete without a warning. The pursuit of Version 4.0 is not without risks. If we can manufacture perfect, dynamic, impossible flavors at zero cost, what happens to agriculture? What happens to the communal table? came with civilization
