How to Be a Brainfoodie

First encounters with homemade pizza dough, photo by Stephanie Nguyen.

Brainfood, in addition to attracting high school students who love to cook and eat, attracts its fair share of DC area foodies. Foodie?? Yes, foodie, the word that either strikes a chord or triggers compulsive eye rolling. For some, “foodie” is a synonym for “food snob”, someone with a taste for pricey and exclusive cuisine. Sadly, the origins of the word are just the opposite. Gael Green, Paul Levy, and Ann Barr first introduced “foodie” to the American cultural vocab in their 1984 book, “The Official Foodie Handbook”. In its original context, “foodie” was nothing more than catchy title to describe people who are genuinely interested in food and seek out opportunities to learn about and eat new foods.

And it was quite a welcome addition. Just think about other words used to describe food enthusiasts: “gourmet”, “connoisseur”, “gastronome”, “epicure”. These are words whose very appearance (not to mention pronunciation) strikes fear in the heart of the every-day-eater, convincing him that his taste is somehow inadequate, his eating habits unrefined and low brow. “Foodie”, by contrast, is catchy, comfy, and all-inclusive. In its earnest simplicity lies its appeal: everyone can be a foodie. You don’t have to be willing to shell out half your paycheck for the white truffle ravioli or be well versed in the finer points of French pates. In fact, being a foodie has nothing to do with what kind of food you eat at all. It means you enjoy all food-related experiences, from nibbling on beet carpaccio to chowing down beef and broccoli. Being a foodie is ultimately about curiosity over expertise and appreciation over pretension.

And that’s more than just food semantics: it’s also the driving philosophy behind Brainfood. We encourage students start asking questions: about food, about themselves, about community and how the three are related. We try to foster a sense of adventure around food and cooking. We challenge them to develop their leadership skills and public speaking abilities. Of course, outcomes are different for every class, but ultimately it’s about the new experience, it’s about the shared enjoyment of good food, and it’s about being a Brainfoodie.