In the last decade, the topic of food gained major resurgence in popularity. The small number of food related programs featured on television such as “The French Chef with Julia Child” has grown exponentially. Food has captured primetime spots in television and has even gained its own network. Out of this resurrection spawned a new class of people: the “foodie”, a class that seemed to descend from Epicurus himself. The foodie aspires to expand his palate, looking to sample every taste available, and enjoying every moment even if the taste itself is not pleasant. Yet like most things great, the class of being a foodie has been tainted by popular mainstream and commercialization. The label “foodie” has become associated with expensive bistros and restaurants with 3 Michelin stars. Though being a “scene” foodie does require a certain socioeconomic class and a monetary dedication, being a true foodie requires nothing more than a desire to learn about new cultures by trying new foods and expanding ones palate.
With food now being broadcast through mass media sources, people are now tuning in. Whether it is through television, print form, or the internet, everyone can find food related information that feeds their needs. However, soon after people find programming that caters to their needs, corporations begin to capitalize on people’s desires and interest about food. By using names of popular chefs and personalities such as Wolfgang Puck or Marta Stewart, corporations convince budding foodies that they must buy products marketed by these personalities such as ceramic non-stick knives, copper bottom pots, or some super-duper melon baller that does the job in half the time. It is at this point that socioeconomic factors begin to play into the ability to be a foodie. Often the items presented through these personalities are overpriced, over adequate, and just unneeded. Yet consumers are convinced the products are needed, and those with lower incomes are dissuaded to pursue their interest in food. The “scene” foodie then arises. Feeling that the product they are presented with is better because of the food personality’s popularity, the “scene” foodie will purchase the products, feeling that they are more connected to the essential ideals of being a foodie and thus overlooking them, overlooking the fact that being a foodie is more about the joy gained from the preparation of food rather than the items used in the preparation.
Would-be foodies are also plagued with the fallacy that in order to be a true foodie one must only experience meals at top rated, expensive restaurants. Widely proliferated food reviews such as those available on “The New York Times” website or in their weekend edition highlight almost only restaurants with prices for dinner entrées averaging around a minimum of 25 dollars. Though there is a section dedicated to under 25 dollars, these price ranges still create a socioeconomic divide, allowing only those in higher economic classes the opportunity to enjoy meals worthy of being reviewed by an establishment with as much prestige as the “New York Times”. With only expensive meals being highlighted, the illusion that one must be able to eat at these restaurants to be a foodie coupled with the idea that the only good food is expensive food is created and enforced. This illusion is then used and morphed into a status symbol of those wishing to project the image of being a “real” foodie.
Though socioeconomic factors are present, few affect what it takes to be a true foodie. Being a true foodie is not eating at a restaurant recommended by “The New York Times” or having Martha’s newest bake ware. Being a foodie is about so much more. To see what being a true foodie means, its best to look to a single person: Anthony Bourdain.
In his show “No Reservations” on “The Travel Channel”, Bourdain travels the world, rejecting no food that is put before him. He savors the sight, the smell, and the taste. He appreciates the process of creating the food and the history behind dishes, taking it all into account while he enjoys every bite. He realizes that he is not just eating a dish but digesting knowledge of a culture. But in his quest for food, he does not only frequent world famous restaurants, but rather he visits the small, unknown eateries, sampling local cuisines that have been mastered over time. Though it is true that most cannot travel the world on whim like Bourdain can, this does not mean that it is not possible to be a true foodie like Bourdain.
Often the issue it brought up that those in lower socioeconomic classes do not have enough time to cook a proper meal that can be enjoyed. This is a false belief. Shows like “30 Minute Meals with Rachel Ray” present meals that can be made with little time and few ingredients. Even prestigious chefs present meals that can be made in under an hour. In one segment of his show “The F Word” Chef Gordon Ramsey literally goes into the kitchen with working families and demonstrates how working people can balance their daily tasks such as shuttling children to sport practice with cooking fresh and healthy food that is enjoyable relative to taste and preparation. Even without a chef coming into one’s kitchen and showing him the steps to take, one can still create a meal without spending copious amounts of time on the meal. Just by taking ingredients, one can experiment and see what can be created. Regardless of what the final product is, the process of cooking and enjoying the task is what constitutes one as a foodie.
If finding the time to cook and create is not an issue, there are plenty of television programs, websites and cookbooks that can take foodies on inexpensive culinary adventures. The Food Network is a prime example of how one can be instructed on how to cook. Just sitting and watching shows like “Paula’s Best Dishes”, “Barefoot Contessa”, or “Down Home with the Neelys” people can learn how to cook for themselves and how to do it cheaply. The recipes presented rarely call for expensive ingredients. With the internet, foodies can access websites with recipes from others, choosing recipes that have ingredients that tailor to their monetary needs. With all the current sources for inexpensive recipes, socioeconomic factors such as money should never be an issue for those wishing to be a foodie.
But being a true foodie is not only about cooking for oneself. It is also about leaving the kitchen and seeing what other cultures have to offer. Some may believe this requires traveling abroad. But it more so means exploring your surrounding community. Using websites like Yelp.com, foodies can search to find food from cultures surrounding them, adjusting search criteria to include restaurants that are within a desired price range. The local diners offered usually gives one the opportunity to get a more authentic taste of another culture, which is one of the things being a true foodie is all about.
Honestly to be a true foodie does not require having the best equipment, finding the best recipes, or eating cultural cuisines. All that is required is an interest in food, a component that can be filled in various ways. Reading food articles and reviews, voicing one’s opinion through blogging, or just watching shows truly about cooking can be enough to satisfy this interest. By sitting back and enjoying shows like “Iron Chef America”, foodies can enjoy the process and the effort put into cooking a meal. From the judges, they can come to appreciate how flavors, textures, and smells of different ingredients can complement each other. From shows like “Good Eats”, foodies can learn to appreciate the creativity of chefs and the fun that can come with eating a meal. Or by reading an article by Ruth Riechl, foodies can come to relate to others through their interest in food. An interest in food can be satisfied without even lifting a knife.
Even though popularity tends bring about imitators that spoil the label of foodie means, this does not alter what being a foodie truly means. Though society convinces most that being a foodie requires vast amounts of time and money, this is incorrect notion. Socioeconomic factors cannot stop a true foodie. Even without resources like the funds to go to a 3 star restaurant or the time to cook a five course meal for a family, there are always outlets for someone who has a true interest in food, for someone who is not just interested because it is the popular thing. The opportunity to truly experience and enjoy food is never absent, only hidden away, ready to be found by those who are truly worth to call themselves foodies.
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