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While these modern food trends have undeniably spread worldwide, if you’re looking for the whole experience, resort towns are the place to be. As Bored Panda found out by reaching out to u/Prestigious-Humor872, also known as Alex, this is precisely the kind of place he resides in.
Alex is a proud 28-year-old father from Michigan, USA. He works as an accountant and enjoys reading, sports, traveling, and spending time with his family. The OP is no food critic or restaurant expert, which is precisely why his opinion matters. After all, he’s a part of the target audience for all those places.
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OP’s town, contradictory to what’s usual for its size, has an extensive food scene. He says that over the past few years, he has noticed way too many recurring themes, with new restaurants opening up around every corner and old ones making changes to catch up.
The curiosity about whether things look the same in other parts of the world inspired Alex to start this Reddit thread. The post exploded with nearly 8,000 upvotes and over 9,000 comments, which shows that he’s definitely not in the minority regarding opinion about these movements. “I was very surprised,” the author said. “I never thought I would capture the internet’s attention like this.”
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When asked what is the modern food trend that he himself can’t wait to end, the OP had a clear answer: “‘Gastropub’ trend and their tendency to market their foods as ‘artisan’ or ‘craft’ with an ‘abandoned warehouse’ themed interior.” He said that while this doesn’t necessarily mean that the food there is bad, his restaurant experiences tend to be less and less memorable with each night out, and the overused buzzwords on the menu just top it all off.
To add a little extra to the answer, Alex told us that he’s also getting tired of the popularity of Brussels sprouts, but as he said himself, “That may be because my wife loves them, and I eat them every time I’m out.”
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We were also curious about where exactly these movements come from, so we did some more digging. According to BlueCart, many factors influence the food trends, but a couple that stand out the most are health fads and pop culture.
The article explains that in fine dining, it is usually chefs who create these trends that are later mimicked by other restauranteurs. However, sometimes, there are also certain food consultants who help the restaurants develop these new items for their menus.
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Escoffier further tells us that it’s not always the taste that is the determining factor in creating these food trends. Sometimes, it is more focused on what people see and hear around them. For example, cupcakes were brought back and became one of the main things that come to people’s minds when they think of American culture, all because they were widely featured on the TV show “Sex in the City.”
The article also mentions that many other variables are at play, ranging from money and marketing to something known as food politics. According to them, there is even one person at Whole Foods, the Head Global Cheese and Specialty Product Buyer, who can change entire markets, all based on her preferences that day.
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So, in the end, while modern food trends aim to please an average consumer, the target group rarely has a say in the invention process. It is unusual to see any kind of survey of what you’d prefer to find on the menu or what the place you eat at should look like. Instead, the restaurants assume what they think the general public will like and mimic it to avoid getting left behind. But thankfully, you don’t need to be an expert to have your opinion heard online.
Can you relate to any of these answers? What are the modern food trends that you dislike? Come down below to the comments and share that with us!
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