Unquestionably worse. Recognize that "taste" is some mixture of flavor and texture.

I challenge you to slice a thawed tomato the way you would a vine fresh one and tell me there isn't a difference. Same goes for most leafy greens and fruits.

Delicate cellular structures of high water content vegetables are completely obliterated when frozen and then thawed or otherwise processed.

Hydroponically grown vegetables don't typically taste good either. (Common complaints being: bland, weak, "oily", boring). That's the reason why this operation in the article is using soil in their growbeds. It's the only way to get plants that are worth selling.

I don't think you can flash freeze leafy greens and still maintain the texture. Have you eaten flash frozen lettuce for salad?

I mean like, why not? I think the issue with leafy greens is that they're fairly stable, travel well and grow well/quickly in greenhouses, so it's not worth flash freezing them.

Because they're mostly water, and water expands when frozen, destroying the structure of the plant.

You know what else destroys the structure of the plant? Chewing.

That’s a part of the experience though. Freezing will preserve the nutrients, but risks the “mouthfeel”.

But if you’re going to blend it, who cares.