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A Taste of Generation Yum: How the Millennial Generation's Love for Organic Fare, Celebrity Chefs and Microbrews Will Make or Break the Future of Food
There are roughly 80 million Millennials in America. According to research by BBDO, half of them identify as “foodies.” They buy organic groceries, fawn over Chemex coffee, Instagram images of pork belly and spend their recession-dented incomes on high-end meals out. Young adults with degrees from prestigious universities apply their learnings to harvests instead of hedge funds. Never before has a young generation paid this much attention to food. Starting back in 2012, Millennial, Eve Turow set out on a journey to understand why. Through interviews with a variety of Millennials as well as food luminaries—including Anthony Bourdain, Michael Pollan, Mark Bittman, Marion Nestle and more—Turow investigates the underlying drive for the Millennial obsession with food, and later looks at the role of Millennials in the future of food policy in America.
130 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 9, 2015
This book is repetitive, poorly organized and not very-well written. It seems like the author wrote it for her and her friends, and the extensive research that was done about 'Generation Yum' does not come through. Some of the same statistics were reused several times throughout the book (numbers on American obesity for example), same questions are asked and not answered throughout different chapters (is generation Y narcissistic?), NPR and the New York Times are listed as trusted sources (not peer-reviewed papers). I was highly disappointed with this book, as I feel like I didn't learn anything new.
August 2, 2015
This was a fun read. It also digs deeper than I thought in terms of asking important questions about my generation and our obsession with all thing tech and now,increasingly, food. Why do we take so many pictures of our food? Why do we feel possessed by some facebook demon to post about everything we eat. Why are we spending our last dollars at whole foods and local markets instead of just going to aldis? This book was great at getting us to ask the important questions about our relationship to food and where our choices will lead in the future.
Ok, that being said...things that bugged me.
1st, If I had to hear the words New York one more time by the end of this book I thought I would scream. What is it about people (writers in particular) from New York that make them feel the need to mention it every paragraph? I don't think any other place in the country with the exception of maybe Californians, talk about themselves so much.
2nd, I was a little surprised by her take on Veganism. She hardly talked about it and when she did it seemed like she thought of it somewhere in between a fad and an eating disorder that people are trying to pass of as normal. In her theories on why people have turned to such diets she names liking a sense of control over what we eat and the sense of togetherness we feel around like-dieted people as well as good old fashioned feeling better than other people as her top reasons. All of which are perfectly plausible and do have their place for sure, but in all her theorizing she neglected to mention ethics. The cruelty of our modern food industry which is probably the most important and popular reason people become vegans. It's definitely why I did. That was surprisingly left out of the conversation.
All in all I did like the book and enjoyed the renewed interest in where my food comes from that it gave me.
Ok, that being said...things that bugged me.
1st, If I had to hear the words New York one more time by the end of this book I thought I would scream. What is it about people (writers in particular) from New York that make them feel the need to mention it every paragraph? I don't think any other place in the country with the exception of maybe Californians, talk about themselves so much.
2nd, I was a little surprised by her take on Veganism. She hardly talked about it and when she did it seemed like she thought of it somewhere in between a fad and an eating disorder that people are trying to pass of as normal. In her theories on why people have turned to such diets she names liking a sense of control over what we eat and the sense of togetherness we feel around like-dieted people as well as good old fashioned feeling better than other people as her top reasons. All of which are perfectly plausible and do have their place for sure, but in all her theorizing she neglected to mention ethics. The cruelty of our modern food industry which is probably the most important and popular reason people become vegans. It's definitely why I did. That was surprisingly left out of the conversation.
All in all I did like the book and enjoyed the renewed interest in where my food comes from that it gave me.
November 11, 2017
This is like Sex and the City but for food.
Living and working in New York City as a writer involved in the food scene, Turow is curious about one thing and one thing only. Why are millennials so obsessed with food and what does that mean for the future of food? It begins with Eve's personal story, an everymillennial biography where she grows up, not caring too much about what she put into her body but soon discovering the thrill of cooking in her twenties. Eve recounts her personal food journey, discussing cooking classes, underground supper parties and food porn. Aside from this book, I have not heard of Yummers being used as a name for food-obsessed millennials but I like the ring of it, and it also reminds of yuppies, which I also feel is appropriate given the elitism that shrouds most food snobs.
This may offend older generations who may feel Turow is giving all too much credit to the millennial generation, and she does cede ground that millennials are not the originators of clean eating (non-GMO, local) but I agree with Turow that millennials, on a whole, prioritize food in a way that previous generations did not. I mean, look at avocadoes on toast...
Instead of the omnivore's dilemma, Turow grapples with the yummer's dilemma in a very Carrie Bradshaw way:
"How honest is this food movement? Maybe all we really want is a good meal or to pacify our personal anxieties, not to change the world."
Yummers are one group in the food movement, and it's the group that Turow, perhaps, identifies most strongly with, which is why there is a conflict in the pages - is this a self-indulgent movement with no redeeming qualities? If yummers are elevating food to a lifestyle and an extension of a personality as a coping method in the face of technological innovations, a broken government system and high unemployment numbers, are we truly making a difference or are we simply putting our heads in the sand, being shortsighted in only looking at community, not nation?
"People are in [the Food Movement] because they care about animals; people are in it because they care about climate change, people are in it because they care about public health, and even though sustainable agriculture kind of supports all those goals, people are not all on the same page.
"One of the first things that the Food Movement needs to do is settle on a list of priorities or a first priority in the same way that gay marriage became the issue of the Gay Rights Movement. Everyone coalesced around gay marriage. That wasn't a given. That had to be decided on and forced by certain participants."- Michael Pollan
Turow identifies the Zero Waste Movement as the priority issue that yummers to farmers rally behind. Seems astute, as the strength of zero waste groups in local cities such as Vancouver have impressed me that this is the direction that we are moving towards.
All in all, I recommend this book for those interested in learning more about the future of food. It's by no mean an exhaustive read but a pulse check on the latest consumer food trends from a millennial point of view.
Living and working in New York City as a writer involved in the food scene, Turow is curious about one thing and one thing only. Why are millennials so obsessed with food and what does that mean for the future of food? It begins with Eve's personal story, an everymillennial biography where she grows up, not caring too much about what she put into her body but soon discovering the thrill of cooking in her twenties. Eve recounts her personal food journey, discussing cooking classes, underground supper parties and food porn. Aside from this book, I have not heard of Yummers being used as a name for food-obsessed millennials but I like the ring of it, and it also reminds of yuppies, which I also feel is appropriate given the elitism that shrouds most food snobs.
This may offend older generations who may feel Turow is giving all too much credit to the millennial generation, and she does cede ground that millennials are not the originators of clean eating (non-GMO, local) but I agree with Turow that millennials, on a whole, prioritize food in a way that previous generations did not. I mean, look at avocadoes on toast...
Instead of the omnivore's dilemma, Turow grapples with the yummer's dilemma in a very Carrie Bradshaw way:
"How honest is this food movement? Maybe all we really want is a good meal or to pacify our personal anxieties, not to change the world."
Yummers are one group in the food movement, and it's the group that Turow, perhaps, identifies most strongly with, which is why there is a conflict in the pages - is this a self-indulgent movement with no redeeming qualities? If yummers are elevating food to a lifestyle and an extension of a personality as a coping method in the face of technological innovations, a broken government system and high unemployment numbers, are we truly making a difference or are we simply putting our heads in the sand, being shortsighted in only looking at community, not nation?
"People are in [the Food Movement] because they care about animals; people are in it because they care about climate change, people are in it because they care about public health, and even though sustainable agriculture kind of supports all those goals, people are not all on the same page.
"One of the first things that the Food Movement needs to do is settle on a list of priorities or a first priority in the same way that gay marriage became the issue of the Gay Rights Movement. Everyone coalesced around gay marriage. That wasn't a given. That had to be decided on and forced by certain participants."- Michael Pollan
Turow identifies the Zero Waste Movement as the priority issue that yummers to farmers rally behind. Seems astute, as the strength of zero waste groups in local cities such as Vancouver have impressed me that this is the direction that we are moving towards.
All in all, I recommend this book for those interested in learning more about the future of food. It's by no mean an exhaustive read but a pulse check on the latest consumer food trends from a millennial point of view.
July 13, 2015
Eve Turow is like anyone of us who grew up on Clarissa Explains it all, made our parents stand in absurd lines for Tamagotchis, hid under the blankets during Are You Afraid of the Dark? and binged on Fun Dip, Surge and French Toast Crunch. That is to say, she’s a Millennial through and through who has experienced firsthand the generational shift in zeitgeist that has resulted in cult-like obsession with all that is handmade (food and otherwise).
In Generation Yum, Turow, who has earned her chops in food and food policy writing work with the likes of Mark Bittman, and whose writing has appeared on NPR, The Huffington Post, in The Chicago Tribune, The Atlantic and elsewhere explores the Millennial generation’s obsession with food, it’s roots, it’s relationship with food icons and what it means for the industry as a whole. She breaks down each facet of where cultural phenomenon stems from to get a better understanding of the ‘why’ behind your cousin’s fourth hot dog picture this past Fourth of July weekend.
However, what could have easily been another Millennial navel gazing session, Turow deftly navigates into a study on the development of food culture and its potential impact both positively and negatively on the food policy landscape through interviews with influencers and the use of well culled through facts and articles.
Turow also doesn’t hesitate to admonish her own generation where they don’t live up to their potential; often all too ready to make their voices heard through mouse clicks instead of feet-on-the-ground protests. She asks the necessary questions, “How can we make a difference if we’re so concerned with our own brands?” “What can we do to get people to care?” “What is going to happen when the fad passes?”
If it feels like the book covers off on a lot of topics, it’s because it does. At times the narrative moves from topic to topic a little too quickly and it can feel like there is a lack of direction; the narrative we are sold in the beginning isn’t really where the book takes you by the end. But that may be getting down to semantics. Regardless, this is a great introduction to the characteristics and motivations for a generation who has the influence to change the landscape (both digitally and environmentally) with the click of the “Like” button.
In Generation Yum, Turow, who has earned her chops in food and food policy writing work with the likes of Mark Bittman, and whose writing has appeared on NPR, The Huffington Post, in The Chicago Tribune, The Atlantic and elsewhere explores the Millennial generation’s obsession with food, it’s roots, it’s relationship with food icons and what it means for the industry as a whole. She breaks down each facet of where cultural phenomenon stems from to get a better understanding of the ‘why’ behind your cousin’s fourth hot dog picture this past Fourth of July weekend.
However, what could have easily been another Millennial navel gazing session, Turow deftly navigates into a study on the development of food culture and its potential impact both positively and negatively on the food policy landscape through interviews with influencers and the use of well culled through facts and articles.
Turow also doesn’t hesitate to admonish her own generation where they don’t live up to their potential; often all too ready to make their voices heard through mouse clicks instead of feet-on-the-ground protests. She asks the necessary questions, “How can we make a difference if we’re so concerned with our own brands?” “What can we do to get people to care?” “What is going to happen when the fad passes?”
If it feels like the book covers off on a lot of topics, it’s because it does. At times the narrative moves from topic to topic a little too quickly and it can feel like there is a lack of direction; the narrative we are sold in the beginning isn’t really where the book takes you by the end. But that may be getting down to semantics. Regardless, this is a great introduction to the characteristics and motivations for a generation who has the influence to change the landscape (both digitally and environmentally) with the click of the “Like” button.
June 14, 2016
This has to be one of the most bizarrely bad books I've ever read. I'm not sure which universe Ms Turow inhabits, but it's a very small one a long distance from any I'm acquainted with.
As an enthusiastic participant in the foodie communities of Boston and the Bay Area of the '80s, '90s, and oughts, her focus on millenials seems laughably ahistorical. The appropriation and dumbing-down by mass culture of something that started as a real movement is discouraging, since to many of its new adherents it probably isn't much more than a fad. Don't get me wrong - the fact that twenty-somethings appreciate good food is a good thing, but this reads more like an exercise in generational self-congratulation.
As an enthusiastic participant in the foodie communities of Boston and the Bay Area of the '80s, '90s, and oughts, her focus on millenials seems laughably ahistorical. The appropriation and dumbing-down by mass culture of something that started as a real movement is discouraging, since to many of its new adherents it probably isn't much more than a fad. Don't get me wrong - the fact that twenty-somethings appreciate good food is a good thing, but this reads more like an exercise in generational self-congratulation.
February 12, 2016
Reads like a cross between Carrie Bradshaw and Sarah Koenig. Too many generalizations, bad organization and not enough depth.
November 11, 2022
interesting but not very in depth, argument made based off anecdotes and author's experience rather than facts; i want the full text of some of these interviews with famous people and we only got soundbites
December 26, 2016
A very thoughtful look at food culture.
January 4, 2016
I red this book on a friend's recommendation, and because I was worried that I was the embodiment of the stereotype this book was about to describe. The latter turned out to be false - compared to the people Eve interviews, I'm pretty sure I'm not nearly foodie enough to call myself a foodie. I'll have to try harder in 2016. After reading the book, I'm not sure whether that's fortunate or unfortunate.
In general, I have a hard time with non-fiction writing. The shorter length of Generation Yum was definitely a boon in that regard. The fact that it was about my people, narcissists that we are, probably didn't hurt.
Reading this book, I felt like the first 1/2 or so didn't yet know the story it wanted to tell. The pages tended to swirl around similar points, getting repeatedly distracted by some of the larger trends ("millennials don't have disposable income but are spending it on expensive food anyway" - hopefully that's not too much of a spoiler if you've read literally any journalistic piece on millennials in the last 15 years) in the midst of making the more specific point. It didn't stop those chapters from being compelling and having interesting facts, but it felt a bit like the author hadn't figured out finer strokes of her story yet, or maybe didn't feel like she had enough words to justify "chapter" status.
Fortunately, the latter portions of the book were much better in this regard. By chapter 5 or 6, the book acquired a real drive that made the remainder much more engaging. By the end, I was definitely more worked up than I expected about an issue I thought I only passively identified with. I'm not sure I agree with Eve's proposed path forward, but the conclusions were definitely eye-opening.
It's pretty easy for me to believe I'll change my behavior as a result of what I learned in this book, even if it's not exactly in the ways suggested. And at least in this case, I think that made the book worth reading.
In general, I have a hard time with non-fiction writing. The shorter length of Generation Yum was definitely a boon in that regard. The fact that it was about my people, narcissists that we are, probably didn't hurt.
Reading this book, I felt like the first 1/2 or so didn't yet know the story it wanted to tell. The pages tended to swirl around similar points, getting repeatedly distracted by some of the larger trends ("millennials don't have disposable income but are spending it on expensive food anyway" - hopefully that's not too much of a spoiler if you've read literally any journalistic piece on millennials in the last 15 years) in the midst of making the more specific point. It didn't stop those chapters from being compelling and having interesting facts, but it felt a bit like the author hadn't figured out finer strokes of her story yet, or maybe didn't feel like she had enough words to justify "chapter" status.
Fortunately, the latter portions of the book were much better in this regard. By chapter 5 or 6, the book acquired a real drive that made the remainder much more engaging. By the end, I was definitely more worked up than I expected about an issue I thought I only passively identified with. I'm not sure I agree with Eve's proposed path forward, but the conclusions were definitely eye-opening.
It's pretty easy for me to believe I'll change my behavior as a result of what I learned in this book, even if it's not exactly in the ways suggested. And at least in this case, I think that made the book worth reading.
October 4, 2015
A unique look at Millenials' obsession with food as a consumable good/status symbol, with an examination of whether there is potential to turn that energy into a broader social movement. Turow ends the book hopeful, but uncertain.
Good observations about how Millenials feel a lack of control given the bleak economy and intractable global issues we face, compounded with the impact of a relentless 24 hour news cycle and constant social media updates. Turow theorizes that rigid control of food (from specific diets to "locavore-ism" to community gardening) helps to regain a sense of order in a world that feels mostly out of control.
Her writing style has definitely been honed online, so expect a more blogging style of exposition rather than typical print non-fiction.
Good observations about how Millenials feel a lack of control given the bleak economy and intractable global issues we face, compounded with the impact of a relentless 24 hour news cycle and constant social media updates. Turow theorizes that rigid control of food (from specific diets to "locavore-ism" to community gardening) helps to regain a sense of order in a world that feels mostly out of control.
Her writing style has definitely been honed online, so expect a more blogging style of exposition rather than typical print non-fiction.
February 2, 2016
This is a topic in which I am immensely interested—especially the links between food and social media—so I was very excited to discover and read Turow's view. I was disappointed, though. Many thoughts and questions were never fully resolved or just repeated in the same way several times throughout the book. I was hoping for more concrete sources for information but there was a lack of proper citations or even a bibliography. Perhaps this wasn't meant to be taken as seriously as an academic book but I hoped for more out of it than I got. I also found her long descriptions of every meal she made or fancy super secret dinner club she went to kind of obnoxious. Some interesting points were made in this book but I honestly didn't find it groundbreaking or new at all.
August 4, 2016
Eve Throw navigates the millenials food craze with diligence searching for the answer to "Is this just a fad? How can we make it not so?" With the outstanding food waste, prevalence of hunger, and impact on climate change the foodie craze would do well to involve themselves in reorganizing the economy of food instead of instagramming a great meal.
January 9, 2016
It got interesting in the end but the first half of the book didn't manage to catch my attention. More a diary-like book to me than a deep reflection based on a research. I guess I was expecting more "food for thought". Still, it's not a bad one. Easy to read and with some interesting ideas.
September 16, 2015
Quick and fun read but two things kept it from being a 5 star book - one is of course how America centric it is and the second is that Turrow desperately tries to find meaning and resolution in why our generation is so obsessed with food, when frankly I don't think there is either.
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