Picture this. You're sitting in a trendy foodie hotspot, being served dish after dish adorned with elegant floral garnishes, presented in über cool asymmetrical dishes, and topped with a generous sprinkling of gold leaf or fruit caviar. You immediately whip out your phone, and turn into a photographing, filtering, and hash-tagging hurricane. Did a lot of thought and effort go into the aesthetics of the dish? Yes. But can this glittery, colourful monstrosity really be considered food? NO!
With the rise of pop culture, the internet and social media influencer, it's no wonder that trends come and go at an alarming pace, with something that's all the rage being deemed unfashionable the next day. From pop music to celebrities, from gaming platforms to fashion, we all feel compelled to try and explore the newest fads. But now, this modernised way of thinking has infliltrated the food scene, beguiling us to try the latest cricket brownies, deconstructed Shepard's pie or fennel and cardamom chocolate truffles. This has to stop!
Firstly, veganism. Adopting a plant based diet has numerous health and environmental benefits, considering that it takes 2400 litres of water and 13 pounds of grain to produce a single pound of beef, as recent studies showed. From preventing cardiac issues to lowering high cholestrol and obesity rates, it's no wonder that with an evolving population, shifting to a more plant-based diet is the only way forward. However, as much as I support veganism and opting for a lower meat consumption diet, I do not in any way shape or form want to have a chemical-filled, soggy and tasteless meat-mimicking vegetable patty in my burger. At first, I actually didn't mind the meat-ish taste, until I looked at the ingredients list, filled with unrecognisable words and unpronouncable terms. Cue my face of horror. Why would anyone voluntarily eat a mushy, artificial sludge? With an increasing interest in meat and dairy substitutes among today's youth, our supermarket shelves have been stocked to the brim with nut milks, alternative proteins and mock meats. Although tofu, nut milks and tempeh are still consumable, for me imitation meats are an absolute no-go. Why not make a dish where vegetables are the star of the show, such as a lovely tomato soup or a seasonal vegetable bake, instead of trying to manipulate these natural foods into something completely artificial? These pale imitations simply cannot compare to the original dish, and I will always see them for what they are: an imposter.
Messing with mock meats is bad enough, but I absolutely cannot condone the "trendy" desserts. From food-dye filled, ultra sugary cakes and cookies to the horrendous and overpriced "artisan chocolates", I shall never understand why people feel the need to change and destroy a good ol' dessert. Why can't you name things like "cloud bread" based on what they really are: colourful meringues parading around under the guise of being bread? Why do hip chocolatiers feel the need to ruin a perfectly good chocolate truffle with lumpy, overpowering, shrivelled coconut flakes? Some of my friends like nothing more than digging into a nice, cold bowl of overpriced frozen fruit smoothie bowls, to my bemusement. Do I want to try these popular desserts out of curiosity? Yes. But I will not give up my favourite sticky date pudding and Nonya kueh for some repulsive, unappetising confectionary.
Lastly, I'm sick and tired of seeing "adaptations" of traditional dishes becoming trendy, without giving credit back to the vivid history and deep culture behind the dish. There is a fine line between culinary appropriation and appreciation of different cuisines, but cultural appropriation is something we're noticing more and more in the media. Food blogger Tieghan Gerard recently came under fire for calling one of her recipes pho. Her recipe for a tangy chicken noodle soup barely had any resemblance to to the traditional Vietnamese noodle soup, and offended numerous Vietnamese American readers. "Love our people like you love our food." Doesn't this give you some food for thought? In a time where Asian Americans are being harassed, where the pandemic has fanned the flames of racism, it's just not right that people can love a cuisine, but not show basic respect towards the people of that race. Food is closely linked to identity, and for immigrants it can be the only link they have back to their culture. Culinary appropriation has been going on for decades, Our food is not exotic, our food is not a fad, our food and culture is not something that you can appreciate for a day, and then forget about the next. A lukewarm, public-relations issued apology is not sufficient. We're worth more than that.
If this editorial made you stop and reconsider a different point of view, please leave a comment below! I hope you enjoyed :D