The taste of honey (-ique)

There is a mysterious 6th taste-bud called umami, apparently - something bitter, somewhat sweet. However, I think there is another one. Let's call it "Nigel". It's the taste-bud that can identify flavourings eg banana, cherry - even though they taste NOTHING like the originals. Banana sherbet dib-dabs and cherry yoghurt's I find are the main culprits. Although I point the trembling finger of shame of the travesty known as The Grapple. Here we go, I thought, "an apple with the exciting hint of grape" - bit like a medlar fruit, or a custard apple perhaps. Something different. So I got it home, took it out of the (ubiquitous) plastic packaging, and got out the knife to give to T (what me? Eat fruit??). But I sniffed it first. Suspiciously looked at the packaging...."Apple, sprayed with grape flavouring".

Why would anyone do this?

Not only that, looking at the bag of food that I have bought for wild squirrels, it contains "hulled sunflower, peanuts, safflower, raisins, hulled pumpkin seed, pistachios, Artificial Cherry Flavor".

There is a bill-board on the side of the road to T's school "Grapes - the original grape-flavored snack". Indeed.