Food P*orn: Censor Good Taste?

Savory. Juicy. Bold. Food P*orn is delicious. But why are some chefs so mad about patrons snapping pictures of their carefully crafted and artfully executed plates with mobile phones and posting them on the internet? And why are some health experts concerned it’s injurious to our waistlines? Maybe it is scandalous; but have they considered the goodwill and free marketing it has elicited?

 The United States is perhaps one of the most diverse and food charged cultures. We have literally obsessed over and in essence defined our culture around food for decades: low fat, low carb, organic, gastronomy, and many more. While the food diet fads have come and gone, the preoccupation with preserving the quality of food and celebrating it through the craft of cooking has come to stay. And it only continues to grow especially with the uprising in popularity of food shows, foodies, foodie blogs, and photographs of food. I am a self-proclaimed foodie, and guilty of taking pictures of my food; food I have eaten in restaurants (most memorable: Lobster Gnocchi in brown butter – see picture) and food I have cooked on my own. I’m merely an amateur but there are some serious foodtographers out there. Check out these 16 Instagram accounts to get your fix.

In all seriousness, taking photographs of food is one of the most harmless fetishes to hit the internet and here’s why:

1.     Social networks – food brings people together and creating a sense of friendship and goodwill amongst friends and strangers is a great thing. Food is a binding aspect of our culture that should be celebrated!

2.     Positive press for new and existing restaurants – great writing can inspire great imagery in one’s mind, but a “picture is worth a thousand words”. Pictures can be really powerful tools in helping new restaurants to gain some serious street cred and for existing restaurants to build their loyal fan base.

3.     Respecting our food source – food is a celebration of its source by the farmer and the chef. In this day and age when so much food is processed it is important to encourage people to eat healthfully. There is only so much propaganda we can watch on tv; it's great to see everyday people posting and getting excited about handcrafted dishes.