Benchmarks

I like to take kids or see kids at the farmers' market. I like for kids of all ages to taste things at their peak. I remember as a child my grandfather would say, "Taste this peach. This is what a peach is supposed to be." Or "Taste this cantaloupe. That's a cantaloupe." Or "Try this tomato. It's never been in a refrigerator. Take a sniff. Take a bite." I couldn't believe that I was being asked to take a bite of a whole tomato. My grandfather knew something.

He knew that when you put a benchmark Into a person's mouth, it stays there forever. When you taste something that you haven't had for a long time, I don't know about you, but I say, "Yes, there it is." I mean, I'm thinking, you know, Santa Rosa plums, I'm thinking white peaches in summer, but really with almost every good food, if you get a benchmark in your mouth, you can go searching for it the next time. It's a really good idea and a really good way to train yourself to find the best.

Savoring Sonoma, I'm Clark Wolf for KRCB.