Crashfrog and jar have been doing a kickass job of explaining things to you.
The following is an essay by co-founder of my former workplace. He's more passionate and knowledgeable about great food than anyone I have ever met or read.
The title is "Making More of Your Food: Thoughts on Becoming A Mindful Eater", and it is one of the best pieces of food writing I have ever read. This is what I read in the customer newsletter I picked up the day I walked into Zingerman's for the first time, and I realized that I simply HAD to work there. It was like Mecca for me.
Articles
Here's an excerpt:
How do you become an mindful eater? Pretend you're twelve and you're about to go for your first roller coaster ride. Say you're sixteen and on the verge of snagging the first really passionate kiss of your life. Or maybe you've finally arrived for your very first visit to Morocco after a lifetime of longing. Getting the idea? I'm looking for that level of enthusiasm, of excited, focused, almost fixated, attention, that level of open-minded consciousness, that makes it work.
Sound like more effort than you want to invest in your eating?
It's really not that hard. Look at it like a walk through the woods. Some people just see a whole lot of trees, a great deal of dirt and a big bunch of bugs and birds. Doesn't seem like you're missing out on anything. But, of course, you and I know that if you take the same stroll and really look, you'll see a wealth of fascinating flora and fauna. Which is real? Both. But it's up to each of us to decide what we want to take out of our experience. Life goes on either way. But having now taken the time and energy to appreciate the complexities of flavor in my food, I don't want to go back to the dark dining days of my youth.