Who do I want to be? What do I wanna do?

The construction of a gastronomic self

When I started my journey in gastronomy, I did not know what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be. Gastronomy is such a large field of study that you could be virtually everything.

I am a sociologist by education, and even if life (and work) brought me towards other professional endeavours more akin to European politics, my heart and soul beat for sociological and anthropological issues.

They say that if you are a good or virtuous economist, you are reborn as a physicist. But if you are an evil, wicked economist, you are reborn as a sociologist. Having studied many economics throughout my career, I can assure you that a sociological mindset makes you struggle more, as life, in general, is way more complex than an accountancy sheet. Or any economics modelling, starting with Adam Smith. Reading him was a breeze compared with reading and studying all of Marx.

And yes, reading Marx and Engels will turn you into a compassionate being with an acute sense of working-class ethics, so I know why it is mocked and dismissed in the West.

With the time, however, I found reverse influencers - giving me a perspective on what I did NOT want to be.

First, I did not want to be a vain and insipid gastronomer. I wanted to let thoughts decant properly, form into opinions, and then squeeze them through a sieve of fine intellectual mesh. Like this.

Then, I knew I did not want to be caught in the superficiality of restaurant gastronomy: I felt that my journey was more sociological and societal than connected with restaurant gastronomy, which for me is a category of its own but should be treated as the only paradigm for gastronomy in general. So, I decided to write pieces like this.

Additionally, I wanted to explore various disciplines and not be limited by the surface of a plate or contained by the perimeter of a pot, as in this case.

Last, I did not want to lose a joyful, almost childish perspective. When something truly amazes me, or there is a real story to tell, I want to be able and free to do so. This is the reason I do not review restaurants or cookbooks. But when I do, it is because there is something truly special to tell bout these.

I found examples of gastronomic personae I would not like to become. I am sharing this list with you - with a caveat. These are people doing their best in what they want to do and should be respected. At the same time, poking a bit of fun at certain gastronomic attitudes is just as invigorating as a fresh sip of water.

The same could be said of me—I would probably be called a pedantic and irrational argumentative wannabe writer, who knows?

The Food Socialite

Even if I wanted to, I could never be a food socialite. I need the disposable income that some of these Food Socialites have. But I also have zero interest in this lifestyle—they are just chasing restaurants, one after the other, without a reason other than lists and awards.

One example? This Instagram profile.

The Food Parsley

The Food Parsley resembles the Food Socialite but needs a vast disposable income. The Food Parsley (borrowed from the mocking term “prezzemolino”, a derogatory Italian slur for those who cannot miss any social occasion, from births to funerals to the unmissable unveiling of a parking lot).

Invites fuel them, and even if most sheepishly do not put #adv, their life is just a subsidy.

One example? This Instagram profile.

The Relentless Food Reviewer

It does not matter if nobody is listening; they have to talk. Or, in this case, write and make reels, stories, posts, and whatnot. This type of Food Person is not ill-meaning, just a bit silly: in a time and age where nobody listens, the RFR choose to speak—to the void. They do have accolades, but alas, these people are more interested in being seen near (or commenting on posts by) a famous RFR to be able to shine some secondhand light. You can recognize them because they insist in taking pictures with the Chefs and posting them on social media, and because they may or may not have been known for buying followers.

One example? This Instagram Profile.

The Haphazard Food Person

Even though many people are trained and educated in gastronomy from every perspective, some companies prefer to delegate one or more of their gastronomic sides (from communications to operations) to people with other interests who are—at most—indifferent to food in any shape or form.

One example? This Instagram profile.

The Former Model

Traditional modelling is the shortest career after professional swimming.

While some former models choose to enter the plus-size world and then the gastronomic one, leaving the spotlight for the kitchen, others prefer to continue being revered and served and become restaurant influencers—even if with their size zero and daily 15-course menus, they are a bit impossible to be taken seriously.

One example? This Instagram Profile.

The Opulent Guy

They live a larger-than-life existence, and not only because most of them are morbidly overweight. They have money and flush a large part of it into wine and dine.

Somehow, it is always guys—white males past their prime time, with a wealth of disposable income, some pretty free time, and good connections.

One example? This Instagram Profile.

Do you have other categories of gastronomy-related personas you would not want to be in mind?