Are You A FOODIE?

Eat Drink and be a Foodie- the foodie phenomenon

The Foodie Phenomenon by Joe Engelbrecht

Never before in modern times have so many people been so interested in food. We can thank foodies for this.
Foodie is a term that has been growing in usage for the past decade. But what exactly is a Foodie, and more importantly, are you one? Are foodies also epicureans or are they gourmets? Or both? The dictionary defines a foodie as “someone who has an ardent or refined interest in food”. Foodies, then, not only like food, but are interested in almost every aspect of food. They want to learn about food, from how it is grown, prepared and presented to the personalities of the chefs in the kitchen. Gourmets and epicureans, on the other hand, simply want to eat the best food available.
Are you a Foodie? Do you know the difference between a hybrid indeterminate tomato and an heirloom tomato? A foodie might not, but would be interested to find out. Must you buy your produce only at farmer’s markets or specialty food stores? No, but foodie’s usually avoid browsing in the interior aisles of the local super market, preferring instead to shop along the outside walls where the fresh foods are sold. Do foodies know the four levels to become a Court of Master Sommelier? Not necessarily, but they would be interested to learn what a good wine steward does. That person reading the food label in the grocery store? That’s probably a foodie.
Anyone can be a foodie. But where did this phenomenon come from?
The term Foodie was coined by authors Paul Levy and Ann Barr in their 1984 book The Official Foodie Handbook. Readers began self identifying themselves as foodies and this new interest in food gave rise to the Foodie Phenomenon.
In the 1990’s foodies were responsible for a renaissance in specialized cookbooks, kitchenware specialty stores and helped popularize and increase local farmers markets (two new farmers markets have started in the past 12 months in Farmersville and Exeter). In 1993 the Food Network was launched to capture the growing foodie population, and popular shows like Iron Chef, Top Chef and The Next Food Network Star soon became household terms. The past decade has seen an explosion of foodie orientated magazines, blogs and websites such as Zagat’s and Yelp.
Foodies also began making an impact on the American Food industry with documentaries such Fast Food Nation, based on the book by the same title by Eric Schlosser, and Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me. These, and the more recent films like Robert Kenner’s documentary Food, Inc have created a searing and ongoing debate about the fast food industry in the US. Things are changing in the world of food.
While most foodies would shy away from the politics of the food industry, preferring instead to spend the afternoon learning about wine and food pairings, they still have made quite an impact on the way food is being grown, distributed and sold. Increasingly the food industry is adopting a farm-to-fork approach. The new credo is the fresher the better. This recent awakening is changing the way many food companies do business. Restaurants and grocery stores are investing in fresh foods grown locally. Some restaurateurs are contracting with local ‘boutique’ farmers to provide them with fresh vegetables and fruit, while others are even cultivating their own herbs in nearby gardens. So when you next order that savory chicken adobo sprinkled with dried rosemary served with rice pilaf from your favorite restaurant you may be pleased to know that every ingredient of your meal was raised or produced nearby. Your tastes buds will be.
If there is one thing foodies like as much as food, it is getting together to share their experiences. Foodie clubs and food related festivals have been popping up all over the country, including the Sequoia Foodie Fest, one of the first festivals in California to cater to foodies. Held annually in May in Exeter the Sequoia Foodie Fest promotes the incredible diversity and quality of produce grown in Tulare County. The array of produce grown here is truly astounding – everything from more varieties of citrus than most people can name to grapes, nuts, milk, cream and cheese. Billed as ‘California’s Most Delicious Adventure’, the Foodie Fest will showcase nationally known chef Aarti Sequeria, star of the Food Network’s The Next Food Network Star. Aarti will join local celebrity chefs in cooking demonstrations and contests in Kitchen Stadium throughout the weekend. Foodie Fest will also feature local wine, beer and spirits tasting along with food sampling.
What better place for a foodie to live, work and celebrate than our own backyard?