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Please, Sir, I Want Some More!

The popularity of food-related content on the internet is growing, but that does not mean that all foodies are equal

There is something brewing in the background involving food, writers and the internet. What exactly that 'something' might be is a question that has yet to be answered. Food blogs, food columns, food apps, food reviews, food websites, everything seems to have been infiltrated by food, food, food.

Obsessing over food is nothing new in most cultures, usually reflecting a biological phenomenon rather than a social trend. A more contemporary and interesting development, however, is that in wealthier countries food choices have become so vast that they have warranted a proliferation of food pundits.

What food to buy, how to cook it (or not cook it), where to eat it, how to eat it, with whom to it eat it – answers to all of these questions and more can now be found in all types of media. When looking at the most popular articles of reputable newspaper websites such as The New York Times, subjects related to food often tend to make the top-ten list in terms of popularity. Not a novelty in itself, the shift from newspapers and similar traditional publications that have long featured food-related content, to the internet has democratised opinions related to food. Many readers have moved beyond reviewers and writers, instead relying on their peers. New food blogs are springing up on a regular basis and reviews of restaurants and bars are easily accessed through websites like Yelp.

Despite the growth in internet-based foodie material, it is not the only source available for the interested public. Those concerned with the culinary arts also have the possibility of tuning into television programmes or browsing through the immense number of recipe-filled books. Yet the internet does have some unique advantages. It gives the possibility of interaction, empowering users to launch new initiatives.

The infiltration of food into virtually all media has hardly managed to satisfy the appetite of viewers, readers or users. Useful and even uplifting, society congregates around food. The phenomenon does not even seem to notice cultural borders as bookstores around the world have significant sections dedicated to cookbooks. What does differ depending on location, however, is the whole of the content, the ingredients or the local twist added to a foreign dish.

While food as an overall topic may be popular, there are some very different approaches to it. Some are concerned with food in general, some with its relationship to tradition, some seek out treasures while travelling and some even link it to diet advocacy based on health or environmental reasons. These categories seem worlds apart, but there is one line that could be drawn between them, neatly placing the different groups on two sides of a line – the line dividing those who eat for pleasure and those who eat based on principle.

This divide is rarely underscored and those concerned with issues surrounding nutrition are often lumped together with other food enthusiasts under the term 'foodie.' Though perhaps useful in indicating an interest towards food in general, it can be deceiving. Deriving pleasure from a meal is all fine and well, but many think that improving the quality of the food itself could have a positive impact on society and nature. They are hardly the sort of foodies that spend a weekend cooking lavish meals to then document on their blog.

Society and wealth are what allow us to turn eating into an art, as opposed to just a survival skill. This relationship makes foodies somewhat of a possibility that is limited, or at least especially popular, among the middle-class. Cheap food and wealth have led to all sorts of excesses and negative effects in developed countries. Amidst dieting fads and eating disorders, the reaction has taken the form of a growing movement determined to focus on health, environment and flavour. Icons like Micheal Pollan, who writes about the relationship between what is on a plate and how it gets there, are often seen as figure heads of a bigger movement. Falling under the broad trend of ‘food activism’, it is increasingly reliant on the internet and grassroot movements, while due to its young age, it lacks homogeneity. There are a few points that do seem to be universally held among those who choose their diet based on a larger philosophy than ‘tasty’ and include the eagerness to try new approaches, reject fast-food, and avoid the packaged meals culture.

It is a rocky road that food experts must tread on in their quest for enlightenment. Further complicating their role is the fine line existing between refinement and pickiness, rectitude and snobbery. Failure to recognise the differences may lead to the possession of a label as “that annoying food person.” Conversely, by not taking a stance at all, foodies or food activists both run the risk of ignoring important issues for the sake of relatively frivolous subjects.

by Ilaria Mazzocco