[pluma]

Meanwhile I'm 31 and have semi-recently had both strawberries with a distinct strawberry flavour and strawberries that tasted like edible water. Ditto for tomatoes and even watermelons.

It's not that the flavour got worse, it's that a lot of fruits and vegetables were selected for other factors than what they taste like. They don't taste different, they just don't taste much like anything.

I'm not saying this confirms that "everything was better in the old days" but flavour differences are real and being picky about strawberries or tomatoes isn't just about preferring what you grew up with. The watery breeds aren't so widespread because younger people prefer them, they're widespread for economical reasons and younger people (allegedly) prefer them because they're more familiar with them.