Imperfect produce isn’t just fine to eat - It’s delicious! We sometimes assume that when we’re choosing to eat fugly, we’re settling for less. This is by no means the case. If we limit what we taste to fruit and vegetables that look good, we’re missing out on countless tasty treats. It can be challenging to look beyond how a piece of produce looks, but did you know that the science actually backs us up here, and that looks can be deceiving?
Look ≠ Flavour
The kind of fruit and vegetables that wind up in a Good And Fugly box is originally rejected by supermarkets based on how they look alone. Major retailers have specific criterias for the cosmetic standards they set, meaning that lots of fresh and perfectly tasting produce would otherwise go to waste. Fortunately, this means that Fuglies taste just as good as the produce on shelves that is perfectly shaped and coloured.
Fresher Flavours
We’ve found that imperfect produce sometimes even actually tastes better than its perfect peers! It makes sense since it hasn't been sitting in storage for weeks or months, like a lot of the fruit and vegetables you get at the supermarket. The fruit and vegetables in a Good & Fugly box are always fresh and in season. This means its going to taste better than something that's sometimes been shipped halfway around the world. In fact, it's not uncommon for the fruit and veg in a Good & Fugly box to have been picked the day before.
Natural Flavours
Human intervention does not necessarily make fruit or vegetables taste better. Fugly fruit is often more natural, meaning that you can enjoy the natural flavours that the Earth offers us. Fruit and vegetables free of human-dicted cosmetic perfection are just as great when it comes to taste, nutrition and quality. This is particularly the case when perfect fruit and veggies are more likely to be exposed to more chemicals and pesticides.
Diversity of Flavours
When we eat imperfect fruit and produce, we are able to taste a natural diversity of flavours. Commercial farming often focuses on selling a select few varieties that have the best appearance for mass marketing. However, lesser-known and heirloom varieties, which are often more prone to imperfections (and more prone to show up in a Good And Fugly box), can offer an explosion of taste and texture that you miss out on in homogenised produce. Eating Fugly expands your palette beyond supermarket mandated flavours.
So, yes, imperfect produce offers a delightful world of flavours waiting to be explored. Contrary to the misconception that settling for "fugly" means sacrificing taste, choosing imperfect produce unveils a diverse array of deliciousness. These fruits and vegetables might have been rejected based on appearance, but they taste just as good, if not better, than their flawless counterparts. Choosing imperfect produce is not settling; it's a step towards reducing food waste and supporting sustainable practices while expanding our culinary horizons.
