Remember when Food trucks were all the rage? And Craft Beer ruled the Hipster colony? Let’s not even mention the ‘cronut‘ that made its way onto every Instagram account last year. Food trends have a strange way of gathering momentum, and when they do – particularly with the help of social media, you’re faced with a crowd who will stop at nothing to ensure that their friends (and the rest of the world) know that they’re:
a) looking forward to eating it
b) are getting ready to eat it
c) are eating or,
d) have just eaten it
Food trends
Food trends are essentially a reflection of what is currently taking place in society. Remember the cupcake trend? And when peanut butter was used in every second recipe? These trends reached their peaks when the world was absorbed in the concept of nostalgia. And when the recession hit and it wasn’t viable to own a restaurant anymore, chefs took to the streets (literally) and set up food trucks to sustain themselves.
What’s new
The new ‘it’ thing in the world of food appears to be something so simple and so uncomplicated that you’ve likely been eating it since you were a toddler. That’s right…we’re talking about toast. But before you scoff, read a little further.
The development of this trend has a link to the current ‘back to basics‘ movement where food is being simplified and served in more rustic, natural forms – with particular focus around its ethical and sustainable production. People are wanting to know how their food was made and who made it.
Hipster Toast
The artisanal toast aka ‘Hipster toast’ trend can be traced back to a small café called, Trouble in San Francisco. Which therefore makes it no surprise that the most acceptable bread to use for Hipster Toast is artisanal sourdough bread (which is what the city is world famous for).
One blogger, as this article reports, was outraged when he was charged $4 for a single slice of toast with preserve. He went on to say, “It was an experiment in upper-middle class lifestyle consumerism. In San Francisco, flaunting your wealth has been elevated to new lows, if you will. We overspend on the simplest facets of life.”
There are certain things that make Hipster toast, well… Hipster. Firstly, the bread needs to be good (and fresh!) No government white bread allowed! Slices need to be cut thick and your toaster needs to be hot. The Bon Appetit website suggests having your toaster “screaming hot”.
Hand-churned organic butter is preferable with any interesting topping that’s made by hand and in small (aka ‘limited’ quantities.) Lastly, you’ll obviously need your phone handy for an Instagram-worthy pic of your terrific toast.
We’ve got a great recipe to get you started on your own Hipster Toast, thanks to our blogger, The Kate Tin. She even took to the streets of Cape Town to see if the trend is cottoning on in SA…Have a look at this video!
What’s the most you would pay for a slice of toast in a restaurant? Tell us in the comments section.