Tangy kimchi, bad ice-cream and good eggs: my tests for the food filter have changed how I shop

The Guardian

6 days ago

My favourite scene in the film Ratatouille is when Remy the rat tastes strawberries and cheese. Closing his eyes, he takes a bite … and it's fireworks. Like Remy, I'm a food lover: I'm a chef and recipe developer, writer and campaigner for a better food system, and have worked on farms and in kitchens, from River Cottage to Noma, for 25 years.
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Recently, I've been testing different supermarket staples for the food filter. Tasting 10 of each, I've rated everything from kimchi (as an avid fermenter, my favourite so far) to mayonnaise – 70 products in all. Vanilla ice-cream (coming up next week) was my least favourite: at least 50% of it was ultra-processed rubbish not even worthy of the name. It gave me stomach ache.
I taste the products throughout the week to tune in to their flavours in real life. Then, I taste each one on its own, side by side. That's when the subtle differences appear. I usually taste in price order, from low to high, using a spittoon and cleansing my palate with water or a slice of apple. I take notes, score them on a spreadsheet, and finish with a speed-tasting to confirm my findings. After testing, most of the food goes into the freezer or is given as a gift to friends and family.
I score each product out of five across several categories: flavour, texture and functionality – for example, does the spread spread? I then assess provenance, sustainability and processing – favouring transparency and minimally processed foods. I also rate value, weighing quality against cost. Finally, I give a bonus point for standout features, such as palm-oil-free spreads or high-protein tofu (coming up in a few weeks). Texture is especially important – ice-cream, for example, should be smooth, creamy and refreshing, not pumped full of stabilisers to mimic the feel of real cream.
Sausages were a lot of fun – I remember Ray Smith, the butcher at River Cottage, talking about the importance of a natural hog casing, which gives that perfect snap, pop and caramelisation in the pan with butter. I cooked all the sausages at once, spaced evenly to ensure consistent cooking and no flavour cross-contamination. I love drilling into the details, researching why a food tastes the way it does and what makes it truly delicious.
So far, the hardest test has been eggs. The differences in flavour were subtle and hard to judge due to the varying freshness. My research led me down a rabbit hole of animal welfare standards and sourcing transparency, with some brands refreshingly open, others frustratingly vague.
Comparing foods side by side shows how wildly different they can be. Even something as simple as tofu varies in origin, technique, texture and subtle flavour, with some more aromatic, sweet, salty or rich in umami. Flavour is subjective, of course: some may prefer a thin-cut chip to a chunky skin-on chip, for example, so I don't want to mark down a product based on my tastes alone. Instead, I take a diplomatic and mindful approach, describing differences without damning them.
I doubted my tasting abilities at one point, but then I realised I have a particularly sensitive sense of smell – I often pick up scents other people can't. It's a blessing and a curse: roses and fresh herbs one moment, rancid oil and dog litter the next.
Writing the food filter has changed how I shop. I now know exactly which tofu I like best. And I get to pass this knowledge on, helping people eat better food and discover what's affordable and delicious.
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