What foods would make delicacy status if it wasn’t so cheap or plentiful? For the sake of clarity we can use the Wikipedia definition of delicacy:
My first candidate would be thick cut pork center loin chops. Properly prepared, they are delicious and juicy and would hold up in comparison to most any other meat at any price. I would pay $25-$30 for it in a restaurant if it was rare or hard to get. However, today I bought a three pack of them for $2.90 at the grocery store. What would be your candidate?
Grapes. It’s hard to find a more universally loved fruit, and they’re just like eating little balls of juicy sunshine. Not to mention how prized they’d be for wine!
Oranges. In fact, until the early part of the 20th century, oranges were pretty close to a delicacy. The practice of putting oranges in Christmas stockings (of which we have sort of a blasé attitude about today) came about because in most of North America and Europe, oranges were originally available for only a short time and in limited quantities. Thus, they were perfect as special holiday gifts.
Flounder. If flounder was only found in one obscure tributary of Lake Titicaca, it would be the most expensive fish on the planet. As it is, they’re practically free. Mmm, a nice fat fresh flounder, grilled and with just a grind of salt and pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice and maybe a few capers on top - food of the gods.
I have the same theory about dandelions. If they only grew on in one valley of some remote high peak in the Andes, they’s be reckoned the most beautiful flower on earth. They’re only despised because they’re free.
Tomatoes. If they weren’t so easy to grow, and the only place that could grow them was Cuba, you know that we would be importing them by the boatload. Imagine tomato smugglers.
I agree and certainly Edelweiss (which, interestingly, is a relative of the dandelion) isn’t exactly beautiful, yet has managed to captivate the attention of not a few people.
One of the cheap things of today that was a treat centuries ago is sugar.
Many things used to be a treat, but are no more rare, than before. Other things became more available, and people dropped these treats. I don’t see many people raving about organ meats lately. Yet older people fought over them when I was a kid. You will still get somebody that eats it, but it is way decreased in popularity.
