KERA's Think Why everybody is a foodie now
Oct 16, 2025
Ruby Tandoh, a food writer and finalist from The Great British Bake Off, discusses the rise of the 'foodie' culture driven by social media and online recipes. She explores how food now serves as entertainment and cultural currency, while hard-to-find ingredients become the norm in our kitchens. Tandoh highlights the evolution of recipe presentation and how food photography shapes our dining experiences. The conversation touches on the global spread of flavors and the social dynamics around cooking that connect and inspire communities.
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Culture Shapes Taste More Than Biology
- Humans are biologically omnivorous but culture narrows what we actually eat.
- Media and social exposure shape those narrowed preferences more than we realize.
Beans On Toast Before The Show
- Ruby admits she literally ate beans on toast right before the interview.
- She contrasts that staple with her online fascination for exotic dessert trends.
Algorithms Drive Recipe Extremes
- Internet recipes must compete individually so they evolve to be louder and stranger.
- Search terms and algorithms encourage hyper-specific, attention-grabbing recipe claims.
