In her final piece for Eater, Jaya Saxena writes a deep dive on the rise of foodie culture in the US, how modern media and the internet changed how we engaged with food, and how food turned into fandom.
It might sound obvious now, but the internet allowed you to find opinions and experiences outside of your immediate social circle; your coworker might not have known where to go for lunch, but some guy online knew where you could get a plate of Ecuadorian food three blocks away. And the enthusiasm with which bloggers began to share and review “lowbrow” meals created a culture in which those meals began to rise in value. “I think what came out of this time period was that it wasn’t just about the fine dining world anymore,” says chef Sam Yoo. “It was cool to go to Jackson Heights or…
In her final piece for Eater, Jaya Saxena writes a deep dive on the rise of foodie culture in the US, how modern media and the internet changed how we engaged with food, and how food turned into fandom.
It might sound obvious now, but the internet allowed you to find opinions and experiences outside of your immediate social circle; your coworker might not have known where to go for lunch, but some guy online knew where you could get a plate of Ecuadorian food three blocks away. And the enthusiasm with which bloggers began to share and review “lowbrow” meals created a culture in which those meals began to rise in value. “I think what came out of this time period was that it wasn’t just about the fine dining world anymore,” says chef Sam Yoo. “It was cool to go to Jackson Heights or Flushing, and find hole-in-the-wall momos.”
More picks by Jaya Saxena
Everybody Gets a Star
Jaya Saxena | Eater | July 18, 2024 | 3,114 words
“Twenty years after its debut, Yelp has changed how we think about reviewing everything and anything.”
Field of Dreams
Jaya Saxena | Eater | April 15, 2024 | 3,769 words
“When a farm becomes a vacation spot, can meaningful connections really happen?”
A Tale of Two Kebabs
Jaya Saxena | Eater | December 12, 2023 | 1,606 words
“The galouti kebab from a cool new NYC restaurant could never measure up to the one I ate in my father’s hometown. But maybe that’s not the point.”
The Bitter Taste of ‘Not Too Sweet’
Jaya Saxena | Eater | December 7, 2023 | 3,230 words
“Asian Americans have claimed the phrase ‘not too sweet’ as a defiant shorthand and a cheeky rallying cry. But is that maxim really true?”
My Benihana, Myself
Jaya Saxena | Eater | June 6, 2023 | 3,686 words
“What learning to flip shrimp tails and build onion volcanoes taught me about the gift of performance, and its emotional toll.”
Is the ‘Future of Food’ the Future We Want?
Jaya Saxena | Eater | January 5, 2022 | 4,270 words
“The draw of a virtual restaurant is that of online shopping: The same products no matter where you are, or sometimes products exclusive to the virtual world. It’s fast food on an even grander scale.”