The Foodie Fad Phenomenon: What It Means to Be a Modern Foodie
Food is life….literally. Every anatomical function, every situational attitude, every fiber of your being is dictated by your nutritional habits. Since the beginning of time, we as a species have relied on food for survival. But, after a few billion years, eating the same old hunted meat carcass gets old. So what did we do?
We made food trends.
We as humans developed a zest for life, a desire to turn something ordinary into something unique.
So, there is no shame in the fact that I have wholeheartedly given into this. After attending a culinary school, I went into college and delved into science, a realm far off the landscape of culinary arts.
Instead of forgetting it altogether, I decided to keep this love for food intact, exploring buzzworthy restaurants which I hoped would eventually influence my own cooking habits. What I found was that I grew a love for trying new things which transferred itself into my personal life, as well.
For example, years ago I never saw fruit as a platform for creativity. In fact, I was a little late to the acai bowl game and would occasionally eat one, but never felt compelled to go out of my way to grab one.
But, upon visiting a little shop called “Impact Juice Bar”, I began to realize that a seemingly basic food item could transform itself into 20 different things, each with its own unique flair. It was not until I tried this place that I began to appreciate fruit as a food trend.
So, try new things. And if you don’t like it, try it again...and again..and again until you find a place that lives up to that standard of creativity and passion that humans so wonderfully possess.
We make things and fail but then we make it again. We sit in our rooms, pondering human existence until we are struck with the lightning of an incredible idea. We share our knowledge with each other because, deep inside, we care about humanity as a whole. We write about the things that make us both positive and pessimistic, the things that make our hearts soar and break.
That is what food represents.
Food trends are a product of our own social interactions, they reflect us as people and are more than just something we consume and expel after a few hours. They make our generation who we are. And, years from now, we’ll remember not necessarily what we ate, but how we felt in that one pocket of time. We’ll look back on our youth with nostalgia, reflecting on not just that acai bowl, but the company that surrounded us in that moment.
So, when I write about a restaurant I went to or when I take the time to snap a photo of what I am eating, it is because I want to hold that piece of human representation for longer than the time it takes to eat it.
It is not because I am an ungrateful millennial that is ruining a moment by utilizing social media or taking pictures. I am not wasting my time and destroying my ability to appreciate life or social interactions. I am none of those things. I am a foodie because I believe in bringing people together and reminding us all of our own humanity, that we all have the ability to sit at a table, eat good food, and make a connection.
And that is a trend that will never die out.
About the Author:
Justine Bautista is a student at Chapman University. She is a double major in Psychology and Integrated Educational Studies and plans to pursue a career in Developmental Research. Justine is a writer for Free to Dream Magazine and also serves as manager/editor for their blog. Outside of Free to Dream, she works as an SBA for Kaplan Test Prep and helps students in planning their pursuit of a graduate degree. She also works with social media brands and small businesses (ex. Pacific Swimwear and Impact Juice Bar). Justine is an avid neuroscience and coffee enthusiast. She loves books, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and dancing around while singing her favorite song, “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” by Iron and Wine :)
insta: @esor.j
twitter: @nochilljustine
