What are food fads and fads?
How has food fashion changed?
Exploration. India had the spices and China had the tea and those who went to remote places began to establish trade. However, much of the food we eat today originated in the Americas. The Pilgrims may have brought the turkey to the first Thanksgiving, but it was the Native Americans who showed up with the pumpkins, corn, beans, and sunflowers. While the potato may have saved the Irish from famine, it was the Native Americans who first grew it.
Refrigeration. Although they were invented in 1805, refrigerators didn’t really become a must-have appliance until after World War II, when the average household could afford one.
Suddenly food could be transported from one area or country to another. New Zealand roast lamb became a delicacy in England. It was fashionable to serve imported exotic food to impress guests.
fast food. Then the junk hits the stage in a big way. The origins of the hamburger have been put through the meat grinder and many claim to have invented it. And it became fashionable, so people flocked in that direction and burger joints sprang up everywhere.
People went from eating organic food to chewing on what Jamie Oliver exposed as MacDonald’s pink slime that processed unfit meat into burgers. yum.
Then there’s the hot dog. It’s basically scraps from the slaughterhouse floor stuffed into a condom with enough condoms to last forever.
Local, organic and seasonal
How local is local? Check out the farmers markets. But just because oranges don’t grow in Fargo, does that mean people should stop eating them? Supermarkets have their uses.
Organic is gaining momentum in certain circles. In 2002 the United States Department of Agriculture became involved. Translated, that means bureaucracy, paperwork, and permits to ensure there are no pesticides or antibiotics in the product. The advantage is that it prevents men who eat chicken from developing man boobs.
In season implies that the fruits and vegetables are fresh. So again, they may have been sitting in the supermarket for two weeks and being sprayed with H2O three times a day.
Fortunately, in a democratic society people can make a decision about what they want to eat. Local, organic or pink slime: step to the consumer.
The last question
What will be the next gastronomic fad? All already popular in Southeast Asia, a trending suggestion that is local, organic and seasonal is insects: grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles, wasps, as they are pure protein. And it may well be the next delicacy.