[munchbunny]

I see ingredient purity as a cultural thing. Every culture has some version of it, especially as a form of conspicuous consumption. Wine, tea, and coffee immediately come to mind.

Chinese people can be absolute snobs about tea, but the same people like bubble tea which isn't made with high quality tea because you wouldn't taste the difference through the milk and sugar. Both are delicious in their own way.

Just speaking for my own diet (mostly Chinese), it's common to steam a fresh fish with a bit of salt, ginger, and scallion, and let the fish speak for itself. But the very next meal might be a curry or some other dish that relies heavily on the sauce. But then none of that carries over to making steak (buy high quality, cook neurotically), or making gumbo (get a few specific parts right but otherwise it's a high-tolerance dish), or making coffee.

There are definitely different paradigms for food, and I think if someone is unable or unwilling to appreciate that, it's their loss.