Food as Pop Culture Icons, Part 1: The Cupcake

Food is something that everyone can talk about. Likes and dislikes, favorite restaurants and quick recipes are conversation topics anyone can freely discuss. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that certain food items have become iconic images splattered across clothing, turned into keychains and even spawned lawsuits.  

In today’s culture, the term “cupcake” has come to mean than just a term of endearment. There are dozens of upscale bakeries in New York City alone. Cupcake bakeries have popped up all over the country and not just in metropolitan cities.

There have been numerous books and Web sites devoted to cupcakes. Chefs and bakers publish books with decorating tips and fancy ideas for indgredients to use in cupcakes. Food magazines publish special issues with full-color photography and recipes submitted from all over the country. Blogs are updated every day with cupcake news and recipes.

Jennifer Appel, a former co-owner of Magnolia Bakery, of “Sex and the City” fame, and current owner of the New York City cupcake shop Buttercup. Appel launched a lawsuit in an attempt to shut down a rivalry bakery in Brooklyn, called Little Cupcake Bakeshop, claiming that the bakery is too similar to her own. The rivalry between the two bakeshops focused more attention on the growing fad. Cupcakes started appearing on clothing and accessories. Cupcakes were becoming stylish, and the lawsuit between the two bakeries intensified the trend.

Appel claims that while she did not invent the cupcake, she spawned the trend in the city. While the trend is definitely spreading thoughout large cities, some still believe that the craze is still young, and that it could blow up to monumental proportions. Buttercup managers have been considering franchises across the country, taking a stronghold in cities where bakeries are already popping up. Sprinkles Cupcakes, a modernist bakery in Beverly Hills, is spreading the trend across the West Coast.

Since so many people are turning to the internet to do their shopping, it’s no surprise that bakeries are trying to figure out a way to safely and efficiently ship their goods through the mail. An article in the Washington Post reported about cupcake shops trying to expand their business into the online realm by offering the option for customers to order cupcakes online and having them delivered. Nostalgia and ease make the cupcake a popular, trendy item to eat on an everyday basis or make the centerpiece of a party.

In other cupcake news, the AP recently released a video about how cupcake bakeries are faring in the economy. I think it’s an interesting commentary on how food factors in the current recession.

Virtual Foodie (or, Foodie 2.0)

Food is expanding out of the kitchen and taking over technology in what some people refer to as a Foodie 2.0 movement: an evolution of creating an interactive and complete online experience when it comes to the food industry. Other industries like business and entertainment have exploded on the Internet in a very obvious way: news sites devoted specifically to those topics, huge advertising endeavors and   I think the food industry has evolved in a different and more quiet way. While I’ve always enjoyed cooking and baking as a hobby (something that’s been passed on from my grandmother), it hasn’t been until the past six months that I’ve really started turning to the Internet as a resource for all things chow. I’ve added a food blog category on my Google reader and started using Food Network’s video collection as a resource.

The newest technological development I’ve come across are food-centric iPhone applications. Mashable lists 21 food applications, including GrubOnTheGo, which let’s users enter what they’re craving and displays relevant eateries in the area, and CookBook, where you can type in what ingredients are in your pantry, and you’ll get a list of recipes that use those ingredients. If I owned an iPhone, I know I would definitely want these apps, which is why I like reading about what new technology pertains to food.

The Foodie 2.0 movement is very user-driven. Sharing recipes and restaurant reviews is at the heart of Web sites like RecipeZaar and Yelp. And with the popularity of TV shows like Top Chef and Ace of Cakes, I feel like there’s an increasing interest in researching restaurants and recreating dishes in your own kitchen. Just as journalism can no longer function without multimedia presentations and online forums, the food industry – from cookbooks to restaurants to magazines – can no longer function without reaching out to consumers over the Internet.

Makes everything from homemade meals to restaurant reviews much more accessible. You don’t have to travel to Rome to eat a straight-from-Italy dish. An online community is created for interactivity between chefs, food bloggers, amateur cooks, food photographers and gourmet enthusiasts. It also drives food trends at a quicker rate. If one restaurant becomes a hot spot in New York City, soon every kitchen across the U.S. can have access to their menu and recipes.

I think one of the most signifiant aspects of the massive online movement of food news and information is that it’s easier than ever to be encouraged to be an amateur cook. I know a lot of friends who made New Year’s resolutions to eat at home more in order to save money, and they’re starting to turn to cooking from scratch in favor of another night of EasyMac. My roommate has actually watched a lot of videos on YouTube to learn basic baking skills.

I  just find it interesting to see how different industries and companies adapt to the online world, and I find it especially fascinating with the food industry, since it’s really interactive.

In other kind-of-related-to-food news, the host of Top Chef actually saved someone’s life at party in D.C.