These 5 old-fashioned vegetables you can grow at home to rediscover their true flavour

On our plates, many vegetables look the same: calibrated, shiny, pretty... but tasteless. It's no coincidence: the varieties cultivated for mass distribution are chosen for their resistance to transport, their shelf life and their aesthetic appeal. Not for their aroma.

If you grow them at home, even on a balcony, you'll find older, tastier varieties, and you'll harvest at the right time: when the vegetable is at its peak, juicy, fragrant and concentrated in flavor.

1. Tomatoes: a new taste

The difference is clear to the taste buds: home-grown tomatoes, especially heirloom varieties such as 'Oxheart tomato' or 'Black Krim', explode in the mouth. Sweet, juicy, complex... You'd think they were straight out of a gourmet restaurant.

2. Peas: the sweet surprise

Freshly picked, they're as sweet as candy. Their natural sugar transforms into starch very quickly after harvesting. That's why it's a good idea to grow them yourself, so you can enjoy them while they're still warm, just out of the pod.

3. Green beans: tender and stringless

In your garden or container, beans are young, crunchy and melt-in-your-mouth. Gone are the hard, stringy versions in the produce section. They're almost self-sufficient, just pan-fried with a knob of butter.

4. Asparagus: sweet and subtle

Picked in the morning, home-grown asparagus is a caress for the taste buds. Softer, finer and without the slightest hint of bitterness. Patience is required to grow them (2 to 3 years), but they return every spring for over a decade.

5. Strawberries: fragrant and red inside

Home-grown, they're nothing like those from Spain. They're melt-in-your-mouth, fragrant and sweet. Not just red on the outside, but red on the inside too. And incredibly addictive.

"Water early in the morning. Leaves dry quickly, disease diminishes and aromas concentrate." - Martine, passionate gardener for 20 years

A balcony is all you need for a delicious meal. Here are a few ideas:

• Cherry tomato: Full sun in a minimum 30L pot (7.9 gallon).
• Climbing pea: Sun/mid-shade in a deep pot + stake.
• Kidney bean: Full sun in a wide planter.
• Strawberry: Full sun in a planter or hanging pot.
• Asparagus: Full sun not recommended in pot.

Cultivation means regaining control over what we eat. It means relearning patience, observation and seasonality. And rediscovering the simple pleasure of biting into a tasty vegetable. The real thing.