Take it easy, dear Swiss – Aromat isn’t that great either

Alarm in Swiss households: Swiss retailers are running out of aromatic herbs, it is reported. Especially at Migros there is a gaping emptiness on the shelves. The SDA writes:

Ah. So price war. “There is a bad air between Migros and the manufacturer. You can’t agree on the purchase price,” says Blick.

First: Let chill. The fighters come to an agreement. The stuff will be available again.

And even if – even if – there would be no aroma for a while… and then? Hey, it’s not essential for survival.

Or to put it another way: Aromat isn’t that great either.

See, Aromat is a spice that is abundant all over the world. Certainly, certain countries have their favorite brand, and perhaps these are as closely linked to national identity as Aromat is to Switzerland. But in the end, Aromat consists of ingredients that can be found in any other spice: salt, MSG, sugar, spices, wheat starch, oils and ground cow horns and the same.

If the aroma is lacking, you buy one of what feels like 100 THOUSAND other products. They say maybe All purpose spice mixbut conceptually it is the same.

Oh yeah – also thought about why you’re so excited about Aromat?
The taste?
no.
No, you love it because it reminds you of your childhood.

Perhaps it was your beloved grandma who was the first to sprinkle some powder from the iconic tin on your hard-boiled egg. Perhaps these memories are even linked to the first haptic food experiences in early childhood, when your little fingers were first allowed to peel an egg and then reach for the spice powder. These are strong emotional memorieswaiting deep in our subconscious.

Analog example: I absolutely love McVities Digestive Biscuits. But when I give them to my Swiss friends to try, I get consternation: What’s supposed to be good about that? Objectively, such an objection is more than justified, because the uninitiated miss the most important of all taste notes: the childhood memories, vizwatching mom get the candy can from the kitchen shelf.

See, every country has something edible that everyone loves. As a visitor you inevitably meet a local who raves about the unique and delicious properties of this one iconic dish. However, in most cases, the objective taste test cannot quite live up to the high expectations. The reason: we lack the emotional context.

That’s why foreigners don’t understand the Swiss enthusiasm for one of the most tasteless sausages in the world (Bratwurst). Or what should be nice about a soft drink made from milk serum (Rivella). Or why there is such a fuss about an MSG seasoning (aromatic). But that doesn’t matter, because the Swiss don’t understand my digestifs either.

Food is always emotional. And one food more than the other.

And Aromat is overrated.
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