Foodie? What does it mean and are you one?
Let me make myself clear, I LOVE FOOD! All food! I'll try anything once and being a picky eater in my family was not allowed. But as the Instagram, pop culture food craze grows, I wonder if I am a so called " Foodie" and what does that really mean if I am one of these creatures?
Based on my google search a foodie is someone with a " particular interest in food" specifically "gourmet" or "good food". Urban dictionary says its a "douche who likes food". Now in my opinion everyone should like good food. I mean if your going to eat, make it good! Am I right?!?! A part of the foodie label that is not included is the obsession, the willingness to travel to the ends of the earth. The physical, at times, endurance one must have to find a truly good meal. I wonder if there is a name for that? Food nomad? But, for now if all a foodie is, is someone who likes good food I'm okay with the label.
THE FOOD
Now, when it comes to food that is in pop culture; matcha lattes, poke and acai bowls to name a few, I love them! I'm not a hater because honestly these are amazing in my opinion. I love how food culture has changed the way people are exposed and experiencing new and more exciting foods today. If anything this growing "foodie" culture has just made people more well rounded consumers. People are taking food seriously and putting an importance in what we are eating. Expectations are high and that's not always a bad thing!
THE SEARCH
I find it thrilling when traveling to a new city to search Yelp and food blogs for the best finds. I actually think I could run a course on professional Yelp searching (inquiring students feel free to contact me). Looking out for the traps and finding true gems is a real rush. In my honest opinion cleanliness and decor, or lack there of means nothing in the way of food quality. If the food is good, I could careless if the tables are nice or the waiter was polite. In a weird way, what some may see as faults, add charm and personality to the dinning experience. That is the key. You want the food to be damn good, but you also want to be able to walk away with a great experience. That story of the amazing dumpling spot, off the beaten path of Chinatown, that can only seat 4 and you swear you can't spend more than $10, no matter how much you order. That right there is the essence of "good food".
THE DOWNSIDE
I may have painted a false picture in the beginning of this post, but I do have some beef with this whole thing. As much as I love this "foodie" world we live in, I am also crossed. My issue is with the expense. I'm no econ major, but I do find it crazy that some of these things are as expensive as they are. I love to support new and small businesses, but food should be affordable. I get that good quality isn't cheap, but at the same time the food industry , like the fashion industry, takes advantages of these new trends. A hope of mine is that there can be a nice balance. Where one doesn't have to spend an arm and a leg to eat good and healthy food. I could go on about meat and seafood quality, over fishing and it's effects on the environment, but I will stop myself here. Quality is important and over consumption and quantity is an issue, but there is also a problem with over pricing certain foods due to their popularity as well.
My final thought is this, what will be next? Will it be mushroom coffee, that seems to becoming more popular? Vegan gyros? Savory ice cream covered in BBQ? Taco sloppy joes (which I may need to patent if it's not already a thing)? I mean the possibilities are endless!
Based on my google search a foodie is someone with a " particular interest in food" specifically "gourmet" or "good food". Urban dictionary says its a "douche who likes food". Now in my opinion everyone should like good food. I mean if your going to eat, make it good! Am I right?!?! A part of the foodie label that is not included is the obsession, the willingness to travel to the ends of the earth. The physical, at times, endurance one must have to find a truly good meal. I wonder if there is a name for that? Food nomad? But, for now if all a foodie is, is someone who likes good food I'm okay with the label.
THE FOOD
Now, when it comes to food that is in pop culture; matcha lattes, poke and acai bowls to name a few, I love them! I'm not a hater because honestly these are amazing in my opinion. I love how food culture has changed the way people are exposed and experiencing new and more exciting foods today. If anything this growing "foodie" culture has just made people more well rounded consumers. People are taking food seriously and putting an importance in what we are eating. Expectations are high and that's not always a bad thing!
THE SEARCH
I find it thrilling when traveling to a new city to search Yelp and food blogs for the best finds. I actually think I could run a course on professional Yelp searching (inquiring students feel free to contact me). Looking out for the traps and finding true gems is a real rush. In my honest opinion cleanliness and decor, or lack there of means nothing in the way of food quality. If the food is good, I could careless if the tables are nice or the waiter was polite. In a weird way, what some may see as faults, add charm and personality to the dinning experience. That is the key. You want the food to be damn good, but you also want to be able to walk away with a great experience. That story of the amazing dumpling spot, off the beaten path of Chinatown, that can only seat 4 and you swear you can't spend more than $10, no matter how much you order. That right there is the essence of "good food".
I may have painted a false picture in the beginning of this post, but I do have some beef with this whole thing. As much as I love this "foodie" world we live in, I am also crossed. My issue is with the expense. I'm no econ major, but I do find it crazy that some of these things are as expensive as they are. I love to support new and small businesses, but food should be affordable. I get that good quality isn't cheap, but at the same time the food industry , like the fashion industry, takes advantages of these new trends. A hope of mine is that there can be a nice balance. Where one doesn't have to spend an arm and a leg to eat good and healthy food. I could go on about meat and seafood quality, over fishing and it's effects on the environment, but I will stop myself here. Quality is important and over consumption and quantity is an issue, but there is also a problem with over pricing certain foods due to their popularity as well.
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