# Recent examples of new foods spreading and getting popular? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [May 29, 2025, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957 "2025-05-29T13:40:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![sunacres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/121 "2025-06-01T00:42:58Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > So which capita matters? The local urban pop, or the state pop? Excellent point. Perhaps a more useful metric would be median distance to nearest Ethiopian restaurant per capita, with an additional value for number of Ethiopian restaurants within a 10 mile driving distance per capita. I’ll get right on that. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/122 "2025-06-01T01:35:25Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > How did they even get the data? Put the phrase “How many Ethiopian restaurants are there in X?”, where X is the name of the region you what to know the number within, into Google. It will list them all. You will have to repeatedly hit the line at the bottom that sends you to the next page. It appears to me that it lists even more Ethiopian restaurants than the numbers in the table I linked to. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/123 "2025-06-01T01:51:23Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I’ve never been a fan of the pretentiousness of Starbucks. Wait, Starbucks is pretentious, now? It’s, like, the McDonalds’ of coffee shops. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/124 "2025-06-01T02:43:40Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wait, Starbucks is pretentious, now? Won’t speak for wolfpup, but I find some people (usually older) find it pretentious because they use terminology like venti/grande/tall instead of large/medium/small and they specialize in espresso-style and very sweet-coffee milkshake-like drinks instead of just regular old coffee. Also, y’know, they play world music and stuff in their shops and sell often slightly overpriced treats and coffee-related paraphenalia. To some folks in North America that comes off as twee and pretentious. They’re very mass market, but they’re more niche mass market, like, I dunno, Noah’s Bagels or something. I think it’s slowly losing that overtone as new generations of working class people grow up with it and older generations who “just want a regular cup of coffee damnit” slowly die off. But I think there is still a slight lingering snobbiness around espresso-based drinks. It’s 35 years old now, but the opening of Michael Moore’s film Roger and Me when the general audience is supposed to be amused and bemused by Moore trying to order coffee from a SF barista kinda encapsulates that older attitude. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/125 "2025-06-01T03:01:48Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > I’ve never been a fan of the pretentiousness of Starbucks. > > Wait, Starbucks is pretentious, now? It’s, like, the McDonalds’ of coffee shops. Are you kidding? Around here you can get a very good small coffee at McDonald’s for about a dollar $CAD, and a medium for about $1.49. Whereas Starbucks will offer you something like a Caramel Macchiato for $6.45 served to you by a _barista_! 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/126 "2025-06-01T03:07:31Z")
Starbucks does not make superior coffee, but it is not pretentious IMHO and plain coffee is available with generous free refill policy. “Baristas” have been around since espresso machines were invented in Italy, which have been mass marketed there since 1905. One might find the term “croissant” pretentious. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/127 "2025-06-01T03:10:11Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > the opening of Michael Moore’s film Roger and Me To be exact, it’s at 5:11 into the film. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/128 "2025-06-01T03:11:59Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > “Baristas” have been around since espresso machines were invented in Italy, and they have been mass marketed since 1905. One might find the term “croissant” pretentious. Don’t tell me - tell THEM 😀. Actually in the way, wayyy back I do indeed remember Jack-in-the-Box being mocked for introducing croissants to their fast food menu (‘yeah, if I want French food I really want to got to Le Box’). ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/129 "2025-06-01T03:13:38Z")
In the enlightened 1980s, I remember men making fun of fast food restaurants serving salads. Real men don’t eat quiche? ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/130 "2025-06-01T03:30:22Z")
Pretentious luxury. I chew my grounds straight from the can and wash it down with water from the hose. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/131 "2025-06-01T03:30:55Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > One might find the term “croissant” pretentious. No, because “croissant” refers to a particular type of light flaky bun that has a unique shape and texture and has no other name. Whereas when “barista” is applied to a high school girl serving coffee at Starbucks in her spare time to make a few bucks, it’s pretentious. ---
**Author:** ![Xocomil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xocomil/32/14927_2.png) [@Xocomil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xocomil)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/132 "2025-06-01T05:23:13Z")
Barista as defined by Merriam-Webster: > a person who makes and serves coffee (such as espresso) to the public They _literally_ are baristas. Like, _literally_. Or are high schoolers, girls, or part-time workers not persons? Or do you not consider the pretentious swill they sell to be coffee? ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/133 "2025-06-01T07:39:46Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I’ve never been a fan of the pretentiousness of Starbucks. The best coffee I usually have is the stuff I make at home from fresh-ground beans in a Melitta filter, but, surprisingly, McDonald’s coffee is usually pretty good. I rarely get anything at that place, but a Bacon’n’Egg McMuffin with coffee is a pretty decent breakfast. > > But for a quick caffeine jolt with minimal effort, nothing beats a small cup of ready-made medium-roast cold brew coffee nuked for 60 seconds in the microwave. I normally can’t stand plain black coffee and always add lots of cream and a little sugar, but cold brew is different. I love it plain black. McDonald’s coffee works if there is nothing else around, but I wouldn’t call it a good cup of coffee. Peets is a good cup of coffee. They got me to break the milk and sugar habit because it was so tasty on its own. Interesting that you mentioned cold coffee. As much as I despise Starbucks and never visit their establishments, they make these plastic jugs of iced coffee that are sold in the supermarket, and I love that stuff when it is hot out and I don’t want a hot cup of coffee in the morning. I pour about 6 oz in a glass and drink it straight, no ice. It’s actually very good. Haven’t tried their cold brewed version though. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/134 "2025-06-01T08:19:02Z")
> [@Xocomil](#): > > They _literally_ are baristas. Of course they are! Though really Starbucks should call them **[dream alchemists](https://www.cbinsights.com/research/most-absurd-tech-job-titles/)**. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/135 "2025-06-01T08:30:49Z")
> [@Disinfectus](#): > > McDonald’s coffee works if there is nothing else around, but I wouldn’t call it a good cup of coffee. It may be a matter of personal taste, or it may vary by region, but I do find the local stuff deeply flavourful. I’ve also tried McCafe brand retail coffee to make at home, and it isn’t very good, so I don’t know what magic they do in their restaurants. > [@Disinfectus](#): > > Interesting that you mentioned cold coffee. As much as I despise Starbucks and never visit their establishments, they make these plastic jugs of iced coffee that are sold in the supermarket, and I love that stuff when it is hot out and I don’t want a hot cup of coffee in the morning. What I was actually referring to was **cold brew** coffee, which can be consumed hot or cold (I prefer it hot, but black – no cream, no sugar). This is coffee that is brewed for a long period of time in cold water. The result is a very strong, rich coffee reminiscent of espresso. I drink it in small quantities because it’s so strong. It would probably make a good iced coffee because there’s something about the flavour that makes it very palatable without any cream or sugar, which for me is not the case with normal coffee. I’m glad to hear you share my disdain for Starbucks. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/136 "2025-06-01T11:39:45Z")
Overpriced is not the same thing as pretentious. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/137 "2025-06-01T11:49:25Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > > [@Tamerlane](#): > > > > the opening of Michael Moore’s film Roger and Me > > To be exact, it’s at 5:11 into the film. Try this: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-LhHBzGPpXU/maxresdefault.jpg "Roger and Me 1989") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LhHBzGPpXU&t=295s) ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/138 "2025-06-01T11:52:01Z")
Cold brew itself is a relatively new thing. And then there’s nitro cold brew. Which I order when I see it. According to this article, it started in Portland. > **[Introducing Nitro Coffee – what is it and how is it made?](https://wild-kaffee.com/en-int/blogs/specialty-coffee-blog/nitro-coffee-trend?srsltid=AfmBOooJMfr91mGAEPLqilWGJ7zhSyP8Zrc7qSrxe-nx2UzHDzrv877Z)** > > ► Nitro Coffee ✓ Cold coffee trend ✓ Production and recipe ✓ creamy, foamed cold brew ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/139 "2025-06-01T13:28:37Z")
Since Silicon Valley successes are experts on health and care deeply about your well being… why not add butter to coffee? That stuff is like Kevlar… ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2025, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957/140 "2025-06-01T14:03:58Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Since Silicon Valley successes are experts on health and care deeply about your well being… > why not add butter to coffee? Starbucks has coffeee (OK, espresso) with [olive oil added](https://about.starbucks.com/stories/2024/starbucks-oleato/). Is that close enough? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-examples-of-new-foods-spreading-and-getting-popular/1018957.md?page=8)