Foodies: Consumables Community
From Mod Mania
Experiencing good food was usually a rare occasion set aside for special times that allowed the participants an opportunity to share a meal in a relaxed environment where conversation was engaged and cleaning up was someone else’s responsibility. Today, these special occasions have become so common place that they are almost a blur on the weekly social calendar. An explanation for this could be the development of the term foodie that describes anyone with knowledge and passion concerning eating, drinking and or being served. It is this foodie title that has thus validated the groups want of indulgence to a necessity of indulgence in order to stay abreast of the common culture within the service/ consumables trade.
Foodies are well informed on produce quality, freshness, seasonal availability and associated attributes. Region specialties such as Coffin Bay oysters in comparison to Sydney Rock oysters, Heathcote Shiraz to a Cote de Rhone or Maffra Blue Cheese to French Gruyere, weigh heavily on the outcomes of an evening in a similar fashion to that of a particular fuel additive affecting the performance of a vehicle. Out in force each week, local hot-spots for dining are populated with these foodies ready to test their accumulated knowledge on staff at the chosen venue. As a form of validation amongst their peers, the dining experience is reminiscent of an adjudicated debate built upon the foundation of individuals previous experience where the waiter is called upon as the adjudicator if any clarification of differing opinions arise.
Reoccurring themes amongst available foods is highly dependent on the seasons as use of fresh seasonal goods is highly preferred to that of preserved and packaged alternatives. In saying this, though some themes are dictated by time of year, others arise dependent on cultural influences in vogue and publicised health recommendations.
The foodies group expectations follow the seasons - opting for leaner, fresher, lighter food and beverage options in the warmer months, whilst indulging in heavier 'comfort food' and associated cooler month beverages to compliment. These dishes change annually within the industry with the introduction of fresh updated versions each season, creating an avenue to obtain bragging rights amongst other foodies as being the first member to try the most inventive new seasons produce at a commonly known and well heeled establishment. These bragging rights become fodder amongst the community via on-line discourse and face to face narrative, they establish a form of heirachy in the on-line community that initiates a must do requirement for those informed. This can almost be seen as a dictation whereby instead of the foodie having absolute control over their dining experience, they are delicately instructed what they can and cannot have due to the seasons provision of produce and secondarily the willingness of the establishment to develop these provisions into a dish - possibly an example of meta-heirachy...
Dietary requirements are a way in which the foodie practices influence over their dining situation by listing preferences of what they can ingest safely or what they ultimately expect from the chefs. Certain dishes may not be appropriate for a celiac or nut allergist therefore if the dish can be modified, a chef will normally have to accommodate the request on the grounds that allergies can create a detrimental situation where responsibility falls upon the kitchen staff.
Previously, the prominence of allergies and recommended dietary requirements, have not been exercised as much in previous years as they are today. This practice reveals a greater discerning attitude towards what people put into their bodies and generates associated dialog around these choices, in turn becoming a topic of conversation over the dinner table. This generates a parasitic conversation centered around the individual concerned (host) regarding venues that do accommodate for their needs and to what degree that they had been accommodated. The member with the most experiences in the better known venues who regularly attends wine and food master classes becomes the 'go to' amongst their peers. When a new bottle of wine is presented to the table, an immediate reaction is by group members indicating he/ she who is most proficient at wine tasting thus elevating their position within the group.
Despite this bought knowledge being attained at master classes in their local suburb or nearby vineyard, an override in expertise (and therefore change in heirachy) can occur through narrative beginning with words similar to; “When we visited Bordeaux.....” thus attaching credibility towards anything mentioned on the subject of wine from that region. The act of traveling to a region indicates a greater level of dedication to personal growth within the foodie cause, in addition to this, personal experiences can enrich the established dialogue presenting a narrative more attractive in comparison to that of localised experiences.
As dining is more often a social necessity, the consumption experience is usually undertaken in groups, however single diners have been witnessed visiting establishments purely to enjoy a meal by themselves doing away with needless conversation and savoring 100% of the attention. Throughout the experience, dining groups are more than willing to share progress reports amongst themselves, commenting on atmosphere, service, quality, inventiveness and beverage recommendations. These discussions usually filter to their assigned waiter/ waitress who becomes more than a mere vessel in which to deliver the previously mentioned discussion topics, but part of their dining/ consuming experience.
Group participation can be divisible by two intentions displaying a clear host/ parasitic relationship.
- Participation in consumption for the purpose of company where the company plays the host and consumption is parasitic.
- Participation where consumption is the host and company or resulting events are parasitic.
Through the course of observed evenings the suggested recommended protocol is often challenged to accommodate the focus groups expectations in their consumption. Similar to dietary requirements being of personal necessity, dining styles are also requested through the staff, with an increased interest in tapas styled dining. This adoption of consuming many small dishes in opposition to singular large dishes creates a greater sharing attitude amongst the participants. Even in restaurants not plying the tapas trade, modification of mains and entree's into sharing plates becomes common practice in addition to degustation dining, developing a cross cultural experience more commonly undertaken by those feeling comfortable with this manner of approach i.e the well versed foodies.
Newcomers to this style of dining where nothing is set in concrete are usually impressed by the way in which the head foodie will command a very public space for their personal needs. They are inundated with terminology and suggestions disguising the situation as a complex act that must be experienced in the correct manner. Each fault is pointed out and every correct movement agreed with in the process of preening another member of the community into the foodie lifestyle.
Throughout observations, tables of foodies present their idiosyncrasies to each other subtly displaying their colorful plumage of culinary knowledge. Upon time to pay for that experience, multiple choices present themselves with the most visibly frustrating method being that of the split bill. From face value, this method seems trivial for its pure symbolism. Every member paying their exact share after breaking bread thus denunciating the physical state of being together by clearly stating at the end we are all separate.
