Food Trends - Proposal for a set of komida type-essays

Near the end of last year it was venison and pate. At times it is site-specific, as the “I am Japanese and will eat anything from the ocean even in Key West” style, but it probably started out with salt and grilled fruits. I am still amazed at how my body's cravings and the food that occupies the forefront of my palate-thought not only evolve, but can be mapped both in time and space.

For me, a food trend is characterized by three phases: an introduction, an investigation, and the incorporation into my food-facility. The introduction is a combination of ignorance and enigma, were I am caught wondering about the myriad possibilities and potential of a food item. The investigation is the prudent pursuit of information and experience. It means looking up the item in the cookbooks of every kitchen you enter, ordering it on the menu when you can, cooking with it much more than any sane person would, bringing it up in conversation, and generally taking its perspective on all meals. It is at the forefront of your palate-thought. Incorporation comes when you are arrogant enough to believe that you have gathered enough experience and information about an item that you can synthesize ideas about it. These ideas are what I carry forward with me, and help guide me through my food-life.

I would like to propose a set of type-essays to komida for food trends. As with their progression, there would be three types. I hope these essays will enrich our experience at each point in a food trend and provide a medium for continual dialectic and reference.

Past trends of mine include (probably nearing the incorporation phase):

Olive Oil
Salt
Grilled fruits
Animal Heads
Motarda
Live seafood
Raw Beef
Yuzu
Fish Heads
Soba
Shiso
Fish Eggs
Tofu
Parilladas
Poisonous foods
Anise
Popcorn
Country food
Barbeque
Venison
Pate/ankimo



As many of you know, my current fashion (still introductory or investigatory):

Sansho
Peruvian Food
Sugarloaf Style
Pepper

I have interacted with you all enough that I know some food items that I hope you can contribute on:

Monica:
Food industry
Tea and Tea Chocolates

Simon:
Sauces
Butter

Shota:
Tomatoes
Eggs

Enid:
Chutneys
Pastries and Pies
Cookbooks