Luther Burbank is, as already noted, an epicure. No one enjoys his new
products more than he does, and in his bulletins he never omits to call
attention to the "added aromatic fragrance" or the delicious flavor of
his improved fruits.
What I wish particularly to call attention to now, however, is that
he fully realizes the _commercial_ value of Flavor. He holds, as Mr.
Harwood wrote in 1905, that "it is highly important in the production
of a new fruit or vegetable to make it preëminently palatable, for,
in the last analysis, _it is palatability that decides the permanence
of any new food_. If palatability be eliminated as a factor, then
mankind is prone to consider the food,--no matter what its form or
character,--a medicine, to be taken because it produces certain
necessary results."
When I informed him that I was writing a book on Food and Flavor he
sent me a long letter, dated December 18, 1912, from which I take the
liberty of citing the following illuminating paragraphs:
"I am very glad that you have taken up the subject of flavor in food.
It is a far more important matter than most people believe. Color and
flavor both aid digestion very materially, most especially flavor, and
my work from the first has been among food and drug plants to obtain
pure, pleasing flavors (and in flowers, fragrance) and I have been as
successful in that line as in any other line of work.
"Vegetables--like celery, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, turnips,
beets, lettuce, peas, beans, sweet corn and especially artichokes, have
not only had ill flavors, but have been lacking in sweetness. These can
be just as readily added as form, size or color. Even the pot herbs
need attention fully as much as anything else, and they will take a lot
of time.
"Take savory, sage, or any other herb seedlings, four out of five
of them will have a poor flavor, while the fifth will have the most
delicious odor, flavor and fragrance. Sometimes only one in a hundred
or so has this delightful combination. It is simply a matter of
selection to produce these herbs so that all will have the delightful
flavor of the single individual.
"It is astounding that more attention has not been placed on this line
of plant improvement, though until my work commenced in this line some
twenty-five years ago, no one seems to have thought that these changes
_could_ be made.
"I have only outlined briefly the almost infinite number of
improvements that could be named, not only in the plants named, but in
all other plants as well as fruits; in which people recognize flavors
most quickly.
"It is almost necessary to knock a man down before you can convince him
that there are differences in flavors of herbs and vegetables, or that
such things as coffee, cinnamon and other plants can be improved in
this respect."