Why I dont blog much about food anymore.

Surprisingly for someone who blogs so rarely and nowadays almost never, I have recieved a fair share of. 'Hey, why dont you blog about food more often?'. Well this here is a humble disclaimer of sorts. A) I'm very lazy, B) I need seriously strong motivation these days to overcome inertia, and C) My experiences with what has happened as of the last couple of years in the food blooging sphere in India (esp Mumbai) have left me bereft of any great desire to really hammer away at these keys.

The third of my reasons is perhaps the reason for this post. 

I've met some really awesome people through food blogging. Most of these have been friends and accquaintances of my wife who runs a fare more succesful blog than mine. But over the years many of these people have become very good friends of mine and I have very happily included them (and been included) in my circle of friends. I have been seriously influenced and have been amazed at the kind of things they have done and have traveled with them through their lives very vicariously via their blogs. Kalyan, Rushina, Saee, Manisha, Nikhil, Harini, Nandita and Megha - to name a few. They have let me into their homes, welcomed me into their families and have become an indelible part of my life.

But, for all of these great people, every single one of whom started their blog JLT (AFAIK) and more often than not made it an intrinsic part of their lives and identities, I have met seen and interacted with a new younger, hungrier, amoral breed of blogger. I have ended reading stuff by maybe ten times as many others of their ilk and what I have seen has fascinated, revolted and seriously put me off at the same time. 

The new breed of food blogger is hungry. Hungry to win brownie points and freebies. They'll do almost anything, attend almost any food related event and never ever say anything remotely negative about the food, place/company or owner(s). They will simper and say stuff that sounds pithy and sickeningly sweet. They have little if any objectivity, will lobby for invites and flaunt them like scalps tied to saddles. There are a few good ones here too I'm not painting the entire 'younger' food blogging set as bad or petty ... just most of them. They more often then not sanctimoniously write about food that they have no clue about and parrot the lines given to them. They dance to the PR tunes played by firms who realised roughly 3-4 years ago (in India) that blogposts were perhaps the cheapest way to win advertising brownie points for their clients. They are equally responsible if not more so for the creation of this nightmare.

Now, after having said the above, you'll probably think I am a major hypocrite for saying what I am about to. I have no problem with blogger reviews, blogger reccommendations and blogger advocacy thats been 'paid' for. Provided ... that the blogger is honest enough to say so and has some sense of impartiality. Some sense of honour which will not allow them to rave about every single facet irrespective of flaws. Some sense of self respect! Some basic honesty.

In todays dog eat dog world of social media, 2 minute nirvana and immediate gratification perhaps what I am saying here is dated ... but this is how I feel. I love food, I love reading about it, discussing it and talking about it. But if I dont know then I listen and learn as much as I can. I am not an expert on each and every cuisine, damn I'm not even an expert on all the types of food I love!

tamam shud