What makes liking ‘good food’ so…good?

[Anonymous]

As an avid Food, Cooking and Restaurants forum reader and contributor, I love food! I love cooking, dining out at restaurants, trying new things, trying new recipes, and sampling cuisine from all over the world.

That being said…I know nothing about golf, cars, tennis, the intricacies of finance, football, knitting, ballet, and a host of other hobbies and interests that other people appreciate and know tons about.

My question: why is liking “good food” seen as such a morally superior virtue, and, say, appreciating and being very knowledgeable about fine art or figure skating not so much?

So many people on this forum and others (ahem, Family Relationships) seem to use food as a litmus test or a measuring stick to either like and accept and connect with other people, or have cause to look down on them and see them as “other.”

And in the immortal words of Diondre Cole, I gots to say…”What’s up with that?”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As an avid Food, Cooking and Restaurants forum reader and contributor, I love food! I love cooking, dining out at restaurants, trying new things, trying new recipes, and sampling cuisine from all over the world.

That being said…I know nothing about golf, cars, tennis, the intricacies of finance, football, knitting, ballet, and a host of other hobbies and interests that other people appreciate and know tons about.

My question: why is liking “good food” seen as such a morally superior virtue, and, say, appreciating and being very knowledgeable about fine art or figure skating not so much?

So many people on this forum and others (ahem, Family Relationships) seem to use food as a litmus test or a measuring stick to either like and accept and connect with other people, or have cause to look down on them and see them as “other.”

And in the immortal words of Diondre Cole, I gots to say…”What’s up with that?”

It is? I had no idea!

[Anonymous]

I don’t think I agree? I like food that tastes good to me but don’t know or care about “good food” and no one has ever made me feel less than because of it. When people are snobby about it on here I just don’t really buy into it because I know it doesn’t reflect real life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As an avid Food, Cooking and Restaurants forum reader and contributor, I love food! I love cooking, dining out at restaurants, trying new things, trying new recipes, and sampling cuisine from all over the world.

That being said…I know nothing about golf, cars, tennis, the intricacies of finance, football, knitting, ballet, and a host of other hobbies and interests that other people appreciate and know tons about.

My question: why is liking “good food” seen as such a morally superior virtue, and, say, appreciating and being very knowledgeable about fine art or figure skating not so much?

So many people on this forum and others (ahem, Family Relationships) seem to use food as a litmus test or a measuring stick to either like and accept and connect with other people, or have cause to look down on them and see them as “other.”

And in the immortal words of Diondre Cole, I gots to say…”What’s up with that?”

Gluttony is morally superior to good physical health, intellectual curiosity, history, the betterment of mankind? Really? And people wonder why this society has decayed.

[Anonymous]

OP here. For example, the poster on this forum who is clearly turning up her nose at her ILs because (her generalization) they are old and Midwestern and therefore (her generalization) like plain, bland food. Which may be true for those two people who also happen to be old and Midwestern. But my point is…so what?

Maybe FIL is an expert fisher and MIL makes beautiful quilts by hand. But OP feels superior to them because they prefer bland food. The Family Relationships forum turns into a nonstop complain-fest around the holidays because [insert name of relative or in-law] doesn’t like spicy food, or doesn’t like many vegetables, or won’t go out for Mexican food or sushi, or blah blah blah.

[Anonymous]

I feel like this is a weird straw man argument you've set up here, OP. Yes, some people have bizarre snobbery around what they consider to be "good food." But I don't think it necessarily follows that even those people consider it to be a 'morally superior virtue' to appreciation of knowledge of other sorts, whether that be sports or art or music or what have you. Are you really seeing people in your circle scorn others who are expert in non-food areas specifically vis-a-vis that expertise and liking certain kinds of food?

[Anonymous]

I think there are two things.

I cook. I cook yummy things, and I will cook yummy things that are specific to you. Like if you are my niece and you call me and say you are bringing home a nice boy who is vegan with food allergies and likes Asian food, I will figure out how to make delicious vegan hypoallergenic (for him) Asian food.

So, I think people appreciate that hobby because they get to eat, more than if my hobby was figure skating.

But there is also this thing that I see that liking certain kinds of food is morally superior. I see it here, but also from other people. I think that is absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like this is a weird straw man argument you've set up here, OP. Yes, some people have bizarre snobbery around what they consider to be "good food." But I don't think it necessarily follows that even those people consider it to be a 'morally superior virtue' to appreciation of knowledge of other sorts, whether that be sports or art or music or what have you. Are you really seeing people in your circle scorn others who are expert in non-food areas specifically vis-a-vis that expertise and liking certain kinds of food?

How many IL threads have you seen that put people down because they do like fly-fishing, or don’t like collecting expensive handbags?

[Anonymous]

Some people are food snobs, in the same way they’re address snobs. Sounds like that poster is one of them. It’s not so much the bland food as it is about the disdain over the l Midwestern background that is inferred. Such people feel superior that they live in the big city instead of “flyover”. It’s their way to other people that they can’t other by skin colour.

I’m guessing that same poster would be all over something like congee, just because it’s “exotic”, but it has the same roots of basic comfort food.

I appreciate people who appreciate “good food” for all that it can be - from a delicious midwestern casserole with potato chip topping to delicious dals, to ramen, to fancy gastronomic fare made with science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some people are food snobs, in the same way they’re address snobs. Sounds like that poster is one of them. It’s not so much the bland food as it is about the disdain over the l Midwestern background that is inferred. Such people feel superior that they live in the big city instead of “flyover”. It’s their way to other people that they can’t other by skin colour.

I’m guessing that same poster would be all over something like congee, just because it’s “exotic”, but it has the same roots of basic comfort food.

I appreciate people who appreciate “good food” for all that it can be - from a delicious midwestern casserole with potato chip topping to delicious dals, to ramen, to fancy gastronomic fare made with science.

+1! Very well said. The bolded is something I think a lot of people on DCUM need to reckon with.

[Anonymous]

Ah, like the people on the travel forum who turn their nose up at Disney, cruises, and (gasp) touristy places like Iceland and Portugal. It’s snobbery. That’s it.

[Anonymous]

Probably the same people who only buy organic, hate pasta salad and taco bars, and refuse to East at Outback or Olive Garden.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. For example, the poster on this forum who is clearly turning up her nose at her ILs because (her generalization) they are old and Midwestern and therefore (her generalization) like plain, bland food. Which may be true for those two people who also happen to be old and Midwestern. But my point is…so what?

Maybe FIL is an expert fisher and MIL makes beautiful quilts by hand. But OP feels superior to them because they prefer bland food. The Family Relationships forum turns into a nonstop complain-fest around the holidays because [insert name of relative or in-law] doesn’t like spicy food, or doesn’t like many vegetables, or won’t go out for Mexican food or sushi, or blah blah blah.

That’s a really weird take on that thread op.

The poster wasn’t looking down at her in laws. She was trying to plan a Thanksgiving meal that would please them as well as the other family members who liked more flavors in their foods. I didn’t see moral judgement in the post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like this is a weird straw man argument you've set up here, OP. Yes, some people have bizarre snobbery around what they consider to be "good food." But I don't think it necessarily follows that even those people consider it to be a 'morally superior virtue' to appreciation of knowledge of other sorts, whether that be sports or art or music or what have you. Are you really seeing people in your circle scorn others who are expert in non-food areas specifically vis-a-vis that expertise and liking certain kinds of food?

How many IL threads have you seen that put people down because they do like fly-fishing, or don’t like collecting expensive handbags?

It only becomes a problem if you are trying to share a special event together, and can’t do your own thing. So choosing to vacation in one location with in laws who have different interests than you? Would cause complaints. That’s why a lot of people choose to vacation at resorts or cruises.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, Im not a foodie. Im Gen X and I think millennials are more into food culture. We were more into music.