The Tastemakers: Why We're Crazy for Cupcakes but Fed Up with Fondue by David Sax

Title: The Tastemakers: Why We're Crazy for Cupcakes but Fed Up with Fondue
Author: David Sax
Publisher: Public Affairs
Publication Date: May 27, 2014
ISBN: 9781610393157
Number of Pages: 336
How I Got It: NetGalley
Format: Kindle

NetGalley Description: 

Greek yogurt. Spicy chipotle mayo. Honeycrisp apples. The Cronut. These days, it seems we are constantly discovering a new food that will make us healthier, happier, or even somehow smarter. After a brief life as a novelty houseplant and "I Love the '80s" punchline, chia seeds are suddenly a superfood. Speaking of which, what ever happened to pomegranate juice? Or acai berries? Did they suddenly cease to be healthy in 2010? And by the way, what exactly is a superfood again?

In this eye-opening, witty work of reportage, David Sax uncovers the world of food trends: where they come from, how they grow, and where they end up. From the test labs at Dole foods to the food truck lobby to the 20 seconds of Sex and the City that forever changed the fate of the cupcake, Sax reveals the money and influence behind what you eat for breakfast.

In sections on how food trends are created, what makes them explode, and why they matter, Sax travels America in search of the farmers, planners, and chefs who help decide what you will spend three hours waiting for on a SoHo sidewalk. The Tastemakers is full of entertaining stories and useful bits of wisdom for maintaining your sanity in the complex world of food choices.

My Review:
This book piqued my interest for two reasons:
#1 when I was a retail gift shop manager and had to order items months in advance I always found it interesting that catalogs and vendors were aware of trends before they happened. I put a lot of faith and money into their predictions. Case in point: I had a lot of moustache and bacon products long before I was hearing any buzz about them from my teen daughter or foodie friends. So how do these vendors know what is going to trend before it is even trending?
#2 I am a freelance writer which means I have to pitch articles months in advance. About a year ago, I was researching upcoming food trends to pitch. After finding some fabulous foodie conferences and culinary sites I cultivated a list and began pitching. As the year progressed I saw all of the trends come to fruition. Again, I thought how do they know?
I suppose the same question can be said about fashion. How do magazines pick the trends before they even become trends? Or is it because the magazine says that it is a trend (whatever "it" is) that it becomes a trend?
David Sax's "The Tastemakers" really delves into how these trends come around in the food world. This book is a must for any foodies or anyone simply interested in the origins of trends.

** I received this book in exchange for an honest review**