Food is in. Food is it. Of course, it is. We are in the middle of a global food crisis with skyrocketing food prices and supply chain shortages due to the Ukraine-Russia war, the pandemic, and climate-related extreme (maybe now normal?) weather events. But before this crisis bubbled up into the ether, there was a resurgence in food journalism and food craft writing and curating. Of course, there are a whole lot of media outlets, NatGeo, NPR’s Salt, BBC, NYT, Economist, etc., that have highlighted sections, special reports, and special issues dedicated to food politics and other foodisms, but I am talking about dedicated, purist attempts to bring all things food to the everyday reader.
We have the wonderful Civil Eats that provides us the nitty gritty on the American food system. Ensia mainly reports on the environment, but there is some great food reporting. Same with the Fern. The Counter was a fantastic outlet that sadly went away because of a lack of financial support. Hint Hint.
We also have outstanding food writers like Helena Bottemiller Evich (formerly of Politico) and her dedicated site, called Food Fix. Author Bee Wilson, an author, communicates exquisite, often longer pieces for the Guardian. Tamar Haspel, also an author, pens hard-hitting, come-to-jesus pieces on controversies across the food system for WaPo. Kim Severson writes for the NYT on food culture. Kristina Peterson is the new food and ag writer for WSJ. Looking forward to seeing more from her.
We also have a ton of artsy, indie food zines like Whetstone, Fare, and Compound Butter, to name just a teeny tiny few. Here are even more. And no, these mags cannot be compared to your typical monthly rag like Bon Appetit, Saveur, Food & Wine, or Cook’s Illustrated. Each is beautifully crafted and themed, punctuated with high-art photography, illustrations and stories. Down Under is into it. When one flicks through these gems, you can tell a lot of time, effort, labor, and care were undertaken to bring you unique storytelling about food, our food system, and the people that are custodians of food.
While I love all these zines, and I fully support many of them, some would argue that maybe they are just too precious and put food into this category of elitism. There is a grain of truth in that, particularly when our world is faced with almost a billion people who just can’t get enough food to live their full life and potential. Reading about food and its beautiful imagery seems almost irrational, decadent, or even more so, clueless to the larger global challenge. But they are different from say the traditional monthly food mag. When we think about Saveur-type magazines, they seem upper class, crusty, and white. Instead, this renaissance of indie food zines is being led by the next generation of individuals who are trying to put food on a different footing — one that is authentic, more accessible, and more diverse in who it represents and portrays.
These zines are rich in content, but you have to pay for that content in heeps. They are pretty expensive — sometimes 20, 30, 40 bucks a pop. Decadent indeed…Some have already gone under after just a few years in the biz. Publishing is a bitch. There are probably some lessons to be heeded from the now defunct but admired David Chang’s Lucky Peach. So if you are into your food as art and enjoy reading rich stories about all things food, subscribe to one or two and support their noble efforts.