Thursday, November 24, 2011

Will Miss #390 - food fads

Bagna Cauda on display, the big fad of 2011.

All countries have fads, and I'm sure many have food fads, though Japan's seem to occur with greater intensity and frequency than I recall experiencing back home. Many of them get started by a T.V. program which highlights a particular dish, restaurant or food. Sometimes it is impossible to trace, but once the ball gets rolling, everyone jumps on the fad with a passion and the tattered remnants remain for years afterward. Since coming here, among other food fads, I've experienced the ascendance of crepes, Belgian waffles, tiramisu and mangoes. These food fads are not like diet food fads, though the banana diet was all the rage a few years ago. They are simply everyone "discovering" a new dish or food and going nuts for it at the same time.

I'll miss these food fads, which come and go with a high frequency.