hey,
what's up,
hello
I asked ChatGPT for another phrase for foodie that doesn't sound stupid (because foodie really does), is one-word, and uses a food pun within the name.
My favorite result was this: "Gastro-naut - Combining "gastronomy" with "astronaut," implying an explorer of culinary delights."
And that's how I'd like to introduce myself.
My Story
Who are you? Why should I care?
I'm really just a curious and restless person that loves to adventure and explore, especially in the realm of food. I'm kind of a walking contradiction. no, I am not a chef or an expert nor a scholar. I will eat 20 chicken mcnuggets on a late night without hesitation - either dry or with ranch and I hate ketchup. no, I don’t only eat at michelin’s.
I guess you should care because food media (in MY opinion, let me clarify) for the younger generation has lost authenticity and meaning. in a generation where food has become this kind of cutesy, trendy, health-focused thing on social media, it feels like we're forgetting what food really is. like, sure, we have The Bear for younger people, but it seems that it's only contributed to this phenomenon- chef and restaurant aesthetic and countless "yes, chefs" (without knowing the significance of the phrase).
we've forgotten the soul of food and those who are its creators.
some of the many topics I want to explore include: food trend predictions, the relationship (and maybe synonymity) between human rights and food, black farmers and racial disparities in agriculture, the commercialization of asian food, why we need restaurant critics, lesser-known and unacknowledged american pioneers in food, eurocentric dishes, etc. etc. etc.
I see life through the lens of food, and I think that it's important for others to as well. I think it's important to view food as an equalizer and as a medium through which we can explore different identities.
why do we eat what we eat? how has food shaped entire cultures? and in turn, how do we shape food? just like anything else, food has its virtues and its sins.
Is this a blog?
no.
Are you a blogger?
god, no.
What does "sotosama" mean?
it's a portmanteau made up of two words in Bahasa Indonesia:
"soto" is a traditional Indonesian dish.
"sama" means same/common/alike (someone please correct me) in Bahasa.
when you smush those together and use enough imagination, it roughly means something like "food traditions as shared experiences". sorry, I'm not very creative.
kind of modeled it after Momofuku. like, it's easy to say and memorize. it's vaguely Asian sounding. for some reason my mom doesn't like the name, but I'm still keeping it. sorry, mom- dad liked it.
