I love food. I like to talk about it, read about it, view it via cookbooks or shows, prepare it, and eat it. So I was highly intrigued by the Barnes and Noble display that featured David Sax’s The Tastemakers. Hmmmm, I thought. Just why are we so crazy about cupcakes and tired of fondue? (disclosure: I love a good fondue. Who doesn’t love a meal that consists of you dipping bread and fruit into gourmet melted cheese? Just saying)
David Sax expertly explains food trends and how they play out in culture, agriculture, economics, and politics. He discusses everything from the subtle influence of Sex and the City upon cupcakes, a new trend of apple that is trying to emerge from Canada, a strain of China Black rice that is surging in agriculture, and the food truck wars in Washington, D.C. And yes, he explains why fondue is no longer a “thing” (spoiler: the AIDS crisis was part of it). His writing is illuminating, informative, and witty. The book is an engaging piece of journalism, and I devoured it (almost literally, the prose *is* pretty yummy). In fact, I liked it so much, that my students and I will be reading an essay or two from this book this semester. This is a relatable book for an academic or non-academic alike, as there is much to think over and take in.
I know a lot more about food trends, and how different sociocultural or socioeconomic factors play into what we buy and what we eat. I am still (obviously) disappointed that fondue is apparently a fondon’t in this country (sorry for the pun–my friend C came up with it when she made a batch of fondue that didn’t turn out quite like it should have). But then again, I can always share my love affair with cheese with THIS lovely lady:
Sing it, Eunice.