Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Good post - to answer your questions:

1 - Not sure kids have bad taste. I think they are driven by extreme marketing tactics which target them.

2 - Yes - last year I tried (after 30 years) the top 3 junk food shops that stood out in the 70's..(Mac, Jack and the King) - and forced myself to recreate my culinary taste of the time. The Big Mac and Fries were horrible - if I end up at a MacD today I'll sip coffee or nibble on their Apples. The Jumbo Jack was almost okay but a little rubbery. However their tacos still stand out as good (but thank God for Nexium). At Burger King, the Whopper stood out as the best. But I've gotten so conscience about calories, transfats and factory food, that although some of it tasted okay, I felt like I was ingesting plastic.

Oh and I'll pass on my comments regarding the Fried Chicken Houses - that in itself is a whole different category.

Way too many places to grab really good food without being subjected to 'factory food' hell.

When I'm on the road, I prefer now to stop at places like Whole Foods and grab a California Roll or some Spring Rolls for lunch. Times have changed and what we know now about what we ate in the past is pretty scary.

^oh, I shouldn't say, better, just changed--obviously, there are plenty of things I like that aren't perfect--but fast food just isn't my guilty pleasure any more. I think sales volume and less rigorous training of the 'assemblers' may be a factor too...

I would say that even from what I have seen, Pizza Hut has gone down the worst--as a kid, I adored it, now even just looking at how shriveled it is when others eat it...

Great question!

In grade school, one of our field trips (no kidding!) was to a McDonalds. It's shocking to me now that this wasn't seen by the adults or by the public school board as an introduction to a lifetime of product loyalty.

What I got out of that trip was that their french fries were the most amazing thing I had ever eaten! Years later, I was told (and I don't know if it's true) that at that time, McD's fries were cooked in beef tallow (which would make anything taste awesome). As time, money, science and healthcare marched on, the beef tallow was replaced by oil, which, of course, completely changed the taste and texture of those amazing fries.

If anybody knows the facts, I'd love to fiind out if what I was told was true!

@serious1 - The beef tallow thing is true. And as the story goes, McD's claimed to have switched chainwide to vegetable oil years before they actually did so.

I do think that fast food has gone down in quality since I was a kid. All processed food has - food scientists have continuously discovered ways to synthesize things and make food cheaper and cheaper...and since fast food is all about the most food for the least money (and the most profit for the chain, of course), it's natural that they'd embrace these changes, along with mass producers of packaged foods.

When I was a kid we got a bucket of KFC about 4 times a year. When the house was being painted, when the floor was being waxed etc. When we went out to eat we sat down and we ate a nice meal in a nice restaurant with a salad and tablecloths. We never ate at McDonald's. I never had McDonald's till I was 16 when I went to the mall with my friends. I never had a Chik Fil A till last year ffs.

You want good KFC you got to get there when they open OR during the busy time. That way its fresh and just cooked. Fried chicken, anyone's sitting around is bad.

I think fast food is not for everyone.

I agree with imapct of marketing on kids..I used to BEG {literally} my Mother to get that stuff that was striped jelly & Peanut Butter in a jar b/c of ads on T.V. She relented once & when I got home & ripped into it I was completely deflated, but, months later the taste-memory fell away & the insisting started all over again. Having had to throw out the 1st jar, my Mom simply turned a deaf ear & let me sulk...I see that stuff in the market still & can only imagine that it is as gross now as it was then!

The childhood memory that comes to me isn't fast food related, but, to borrow a word from a previous poster, deflating all the same. My mom used to make spaghetti every couple of weeks. It was Kraft, from the green box. I used to LOVE that. When I started having to make my own food, I remembered how much I used to gobble that stuff up. So I got a box and made it. It was, sadly, nothing like my fond memories.

I cannot do the KFC thing. It is greasy beyond belief. The gravy does something to my insides and I burp the flavor all day long-yuk.
Same goes for Burger King. Can't stand it.
About twice a year I crave something from McD's. But just twice a year because I feel gross for about three days after!
I pretty much avoid fast food altogether. For some reason it seems like in the past few years, I've just lost the desire for it, even when I'm really hungry and the convenience of it should attract me.
Guess it's a good thing!

@ Italiancupcake, I'm with you on the candy thing. A couple of years ago I bought a box of "Candy from the '60s" to give my kids a taste of what we used to eat. I was amazed at how almost tasteless some of it seemed. It was noticeable how much less sweet it was than the candies they eat now. I think that much of our food is pumped up with "flavor enhancers" and extra sugar and salt. We've gotten used to it, even those of us who don't eat a lot of processed food. And now our old favorites--just don't taste the same.

The only fast food we ever had at my house growing up were Krystal hamburgers and they are still as yummy as ever. Not good for me, but they still taste just the same and I try not to indulge very often these days.

According to my BF when Sanders sold the business (can't remember the date thinking mid 70's), he went back later and tried it and was very disappointed to what they did, he is quoted as saying, "this is not my bird", and never ate there again. I remember as a little kid in the 70's going there and I loved it. I have not been there in years not because of the taste but because there is no KFC anywhere near me. Now that you got a curious streak going through me, I might have to stop and try a piece and see what it is like. The cost must be different in areas, because they keep advertising a bucket (I think 12 pieces) for $12.99 plus 2 sides. As for the Mac and Cheese that must be somewhat added later because they never had mac and cheese when i was a kid, believe me, i would have noticed.

We never had a Hardees by me growing up. I could only go to one when I visited my grandparents every couple of years and I remember thinking it was amazing. I went to visit them as an adult a few years ago and asked to go to Hardees. Bad mistake! The food was quite possibly the grossest thing I've ever had and I wanted to throw up. Now I'm glad we don't have it by me!

I actually just encountered this situation recently. When I was a kid, we had a Little Caesar's Pizza place right near our house, and it was a tradition that on Friday nights (my dog was pyschic and would routinely wait at the garage door for my father to walk in with it) that we would order a large pizza from them. At the time, I thought that it was the best thing in the world. I loved the crust and the sauce and that they never seemed to skimp on the toppings.

Years ago, that location shut down and we hadn't had one near us since then. But then a couple of weeks ago a new one opened up, so we tried it again. You know what? I actually still really like it! Something about that crust and and sauce still really tastes good to me!

Now, on the other hand, I used to love Dairy Queen M&M blizzards, and now I couldn't even get through a few bites without gaging. What happened there? I assume that M&M's and ice cream are still pretty much the same, but maybe my tastebuds have finally seen the light.

I come from a big family and we lived in the country. We always ate at home, but on those rare occasions we got to go "out", it was McDonalds. I worked there for 2 years in high school and these days I can't go INSIDE one (Post Traumatic Stress lol), but I still drive-through them and when I'm sick, that's what I want - a hamburger kids meal.

My husband and I tell people how we met over a fish sandwich (he said it wasn't hot and i had to have them make a "fresh one".. he said i threw the second one at him, but I think he exagerates a little). Anyway I still love their sandwiches, but their fries are not as good as they were "back in the days".

@therealchiffonade, do you think your first point about kids not liking foods like broccoli is due to taste preferences that actually change as we mature or acquiring the taste due to actually giving the foods another chance and going in with a more open mind? The first time I re-tried broccoli and actually enjoyed it, it was smothered in sugary mayo-ish dressing, raisins, and nuts in a broccoli salad, and for a while after that, I drowned it in either cheese, tomato sauce, or teriyaki sauce. Took a while before I began to enjoy it for its own taste. On the other hand, there have been other foods that grossed me out as a kid that I loved immediately upon giving them another chance as an adult, like beets. I absolutely agree with what you're saying, but am curious as to why you think that is.

@therealchiffonade, do you think your first point about kids not liking foods like broccoli is due to taste preferences that actually change as we mature or acquiring the taste due to actually giving the foods another chance and going in with a more open mind?

As a kid, I couldn't get broccoli to go all the way down my throat. It was bitter and nasty and worth being sent to bed just to escape eating it. Yes, I firmly believe our taste preferences change from childhood to adulthood. I don't think it has anything to do with having an open mind. I couldn't eat broccoli, cauliflower or scallops. As an adult, I love all three. I have no doubt my taste preferences changed. My love of broccoli rabe pretty much proves this. Talk about having your mouth turned inside out! Couldn't touch the stuff as a kid and now I can't live without it.

The first time I re-tried broccoli and actually enjoyed it, it was smothered in sugary mayo-ish dressing, raisins, and nuts in a broccoli salad, and for a while after that, I drowned it in either cheese, tomato sauce, or teriyaki sauce. Took a while before I began to enjoy it for its own taste. On the other hand, there have been other foods that grossed me out as a kid that I loved immediately upon giving them another chance as an adult, like beets.

Ah! Here's the difference. When I learned to eat broccoli and enjoy it - I was served plain steamed broccoli with a drizzle of olive oil, S&P. That's it. Pretty much pure broccoli vs. your salad with all kinds of distractions going on. This makes me sure tastes change as we grow.

I absolutely agree with what you're saying, but am curious as to why you think that is.

When you were a kid, did you like cotton candy? Right now I'd consider being forced to eat cotton candy right up there with waterboarding. When I was a kid, I'd eat the center of the Italian bread ripped out by my mother and dad - only after squishing it into a marble. Now, I'm strictly a crust girl. When I was a kid, the phrase "too sweet" was an oxymoron - an impossibility! Now, the idea of eating a Hostess Sno-Ball is repulsive. Too sweet is possible - just as too bitter (broccoli rabe!) was the perception back then.

The only difference = Time.

@chiffy - I have to agree with db here. I've always loved my sweets tart (but not Sweet Tarts:-)), so there was such a thing as "too sweet" for me even when I was little. I also loved pretty much all kinds of veg, except beetroot and aubergines (I've learnt to love aubergines - it was a texture issue and apparently, I got over it as I grew older. Beetroot, however, will never happen), and they were never smothered in cheese in our house - broccoli, for instance, was just lightly sauteed with garlic in olive oil, and I loved it that way (still do).

Maybe I just was a very odd child. I loved tongue and chopped liver, or liver & onions, among other things. Maybe I was fortunate to be exposed to different foods when I was little, and to me, it was normal. I don't know. But like I said before, there aren't really any foods I liked as a child that I find disgusting now, I was never fond of that stuff to begin with.

Sadly, all the fast food I loved when I was a kid has changed. Popeye's isn't spicy anymore and they don't even call the dirty rice dirty rice. The BK broiler isn't what it used to be. Hardee's might still have the Most Incredible Fried Chicken Sandwich in the world, but now I don't live anywhere near a Hardee's. I used to snarf those things up after ballet. Highlight of my week in the third grade.

Sigh.

@chiff, I thought I was the only one who scooped out Italian bread innards and squished it into a marble! Except not only did I do that as a kid, but I still do that now. The difference is now I love the innards AND the crust.