Fixed on flavour

Image by: Terence Wong

I am what some might call a foodie, a moniker often found, rather unfortunately, sandwiched between colourful adjectives like “pretentious” and “snobby.”

I will be the first to say that I understand the negative assessment; I ashamedly admit to having once argued over the flavour profile of one oyster species to another. Consequently, a person quibbling over seemingly minor details about their food is a common but narrow preconception of the foodie.

I want to dispel these negative labels. At its core, foodism is about being a little critical about the food we eat while enjoying every bite.

A foodie studies every minute detail about their food, from every morsel, down to the method of preparation and the origin of the ingredients in order to best appreciate it.

Consider, if you will, the basics. Without food, human life would cease to exist.

As such, the act of eating is arguably one of the most wondrous processes of the human body. It engages nearly all of our bodily senses; we eat not only with our mouths but also with our eyes, nose and sense of touch.

In stimulating all of these senses, we form a truer appreciation for food — the source of life and of pleasure.

For a foodie, this enjoyment of food is enhanced by exploration and the pursuit of knowledge.

This includes, but is most certainly not limited to, spending time on an organic farm to understand its operations, participating in the butchering of one’s meat, and/or experimenting with various cooking methods and techniques.

This knowledge is what sets foodism apart as a worthwhile hobby to pursue. Sadly, there’s a disconnect between people and the means and processes our food goes through to reach the plates on our tables.

Our immersion into this unknown world of production is a unique opportunity to be part of something a little more profound than the perfect meal on our plates. By actively learning about food, we earn our dinners, making it all

the sweeter.

Your first step to unlocking that inner foodie could be as simple as digging a little deeper. Eating is a natural part of life, so why not inject a little bit of appreciation and child-like wonderment? More than being snooty or pretentious, being a foodie is a substantive and thought-provoking endeavor.

Go ahead, plant that seed. It might end up on your plate as food for thought.

Alex is the Photo Editor at the Journal.

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