Slurpee Surfing the Fromagicide in Farm Drag: 2015, the Year in Foodspeak
The explosion of the food scene — from the rise of celebrity chefs to food mashups, Instagram overload, and the proliferation of niche gastronomic obsessions — has spawned an ever-expanding vocabulary to capture our fast-moving edible landscape. Herewith, a look back at 10 of the most notable food neologisms that surfaced in 2015.
coffee throwing
In July, the inaugural Irish Coffee Throwing Championships were held at the Bernard Shaw pub in Dublin, Ireland. In a highly caffeinated variation on a shotput competition, contestants competed at tossing 1 kilogram bags of roasted coffee. The thrower of the bag tossed the farthest without bursting or spilling was crowned the winner.
oblivobesity
Dr. David L. Katz, the director of Yale’s Prevention Research Center, invented this word to describe parents of obese children who are in denial of the dangers of excessive weight gain to the health of their offspring.
farm drag
Decrying the transformation of the farm-to-table trend into a culinary cliché, food writer Corby Kummer coined this term to describe restaurants and food businesses that employ the trappings of locavorism as a gimmick.
fromagicide
In response to U.S. and European sanctions enacted over Russian interference in Ukraine, Moscow began banning many Western food imports, including cheese. In a publicity stunt televised on Russian TV, 9 tons of European cheeses were steamrolled, bulldozed, and buried in a landfill. The incident was termed “fromagicide” by Russian news source RT.
gamer drinks
In May, the New York Times reported on the growing popularity of sugary and caffeine-laden energy drinks — with names like G Fuel, Mountain Dew Game Fuel, and Nintendo Power Up Energy Drink — targeted to couch-bound video game devotees.
pegan diet
Coined by Dr. Mark Hyman, this plant-oriented variation on the Paleo diet allows for meat, in very small amounts, avoids starchy beans, and emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and some grains.
poptarko
One of the latest food mashups to join the pantheon of gastrogrotesquerie was introduced this past spring at the Battle Creek Bombers baseball stadium in Battle Creek, Michigan: A soft tortilla coated with maple syrup and cheese wrapped around a hard corn taco shell filled with pulled pork and a brown sugar and cinnamon Pop-Tart. Crumbled bacon is optional.
seamflix
Alec MacDonald, a writer for the website Elite Daily, coined this word to describe one of the distinct pleasures of urban living: a night of food ordered via the online delivery system Seamless combined with binge watching television on Netflix. “It’s like taking a bath in honey while simultaneously getting a massage from an angel,” waxed MacDonald.
slurpee surf
A term coined by photographer Jonathon Nimerfroh for the amazingly slushy winter ocean waves he captured in February off the shores of Nantucket.
sommakase
Food & Wine reported in December on this new term for a wine program at La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels in New York City. Borrowing from the idea of omakase, the “chef’s choice” menu at a sushi restaurant, oenophiles at this wine bar may pick a price point of $30, $60, or $90, and receive an individually customized tasting of wines chosen by the staff.
