Traditional or Indigenous foods—often defined by locally grown ingredients, unique preparations, and centuries-old customs—“hold a special place in the cultural fabric of societies across the globe,” the Journal of Foods describes. But the climate crisis is altering the ecological conditions that define food flavor, threatening familiar tastes and culinary traditions.

Flavor is shaped by the interplay of chemical, multisensory, and aromatic elements, with nerve cells in the mouth reacting to food’s chemical compounds. Combined with sensations like texture, temperature, and smell, this reaction forms the experience of flavor. Another thing is, Ecological factors such as temperature, soil, rainfall, sun, and pests shape the chemical compounds in food.

High temperatures, for example, increase sugar levels in tomatoes, making them sweeter, according to Hoffman. Conversely, warmer conditions increase lactones in lettuce, making it more bitter, Aurora Díaz of the Aragón Agri-Food Institute explains. Animal products like cheese are also climate sensitive. In 2012, extreme drought and heat in Wisconsin caused major crop losses, reports the Wisconsin Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health. With limited access to fresh grass to feed their cows, De Master says dairy farmers turned to hay. The change in diet altered the milk’s composition, directly affecting the cheese’s flavor profile and stripping it of the distinctive “taste of place” that defines Wisconsin’s artisanal varieties—an expression, local cheesemakers describe, As the climate and food flavors change, “we are potentially not only facing catastrophic destruction in terms of physical infrastructure, but also cultural infrastructure,” says Jonathon Keats, artist, writer, and experimental philosopher.