We are told that it's rude to ignore the person in front of you and give all your attention to your phone. However, we unknowingly do the same with food. And why must something as beautiful as food have to suffer?
Anyone who has ever used #foodporn knows the struggle of clicking an Instagram-worthy picture. It starts with choosing places that serve the currently "trending" food or cooking an appetizing looking meal at home, followed by getting a drool-worthy angle, clicking multiple pictures to only choose one. Then, comes the editing, the filters and the hashtags. And while you sit there, tapping away on your phone screen, the beautiful plate of food in front of you is getting cold and rancid.
Blogging about the food we eat has now become an important part of the whole eating experience. Restaurants make an effort to make the food and ambiance more Instagram friendly, and serve quirky food that's worth sharing, be it ginormous burgers, rainbow bagels or black ice creams.
Food bloggers and influencers create food trends that influence the way we eat, too, from avocado toasts to breakfast bowls and chia puddings.
This whole relationship that food has built with social media is not a bad thing at all. It's making people aware of all the interesting places to eat, new food options and also encouraging people to try their hand at cooking up intricate meals at home.
Yes, it is a way of appreciating food, but is this real appreciation? In this whole process of eating and tweeting, we often tend to forget what food is really about. It's about sharing (not just with your followers), conversation, and really enjoying your food. Real good food may not look pretty, may not be trending on the gram and may not get you double taps, but it makes you feel something magical.
Next time you are eating, pick something close to your heart or some genuine hearty food. More often than not, Instagram-worthy food may look better than it tastes.
Instagram that spaghetti, re-arrange that sprig of parsley, quenelle that ice cream or simply post that comforting pizza, if it makes you happy. All I ask is that you don't eat for Instagram and that you don't forget what good food is reallyall about.
