eli5: How do “instant” versions of foods (instant oatmeal, coffee, rice, etc.) exist? Why are they not the standard since they’re so efficient?
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Is a little historical perspective allowed as a top-level comment?
In the 1960’s, the US space program developed freeze-dried foods, which were later sold to the public. The most famous was *Tang*, a freeze-dried orange beverage. Children like me thought this was the coolest thing ever, and begged our mothers to buy it. We’d been prepped by TV shows like *The Jetsons* for a future where we’d all be taking pills for our food.
Then, we actually tasted it. And Tang was awful. We were so excited before we took a sip, and then my mom saw the look on our faces. The “I told you so” look on her face – long familiar to us – was priceless. So, as many others have pointed out, the convenience often sacrifices taste. OTOH, as a kid, this was an early object lesson that what looks great in a TV commercial might not be so great in real life.
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