Why do we place such a high value on the image and symbolism of food, beyond just filling our bellies?

This article explores the increasingly important role that images and social symbols play in food consumption, and how people are paying higher prices for cultural experiences and images that go beyond simple nutrition.

 

Food is more than just a means of survival; it’s an important element of culture and social symbolism. Humans instinctively turn to food to sustain our lives, but in the process, we attach various meanings and values to it. We don’t just eat to fill our stomachs, we use certain foods to express ourselves and even reveal our social standing. Food is intimately connected to our daily lives, and the meanings behind it are increasingly complex.
When we eat food, we don’t just consume the food itself; we consume the images that are attached to it, and this trend is becoming a larger social phenomenon as food becomes more abundant and more mediatized. One of the most obvious examples of this is coffee. We’ve all been surprised by the price of coffee at one point or another, with some coffee chains charging upwards of $4 per cup, there is a consensus that coffee is expensive. Despite this consensus, a huge number of coffee shops are thriving in Korea, and you can easily find a cafe no matter where you go. This proves that there is enough demand for coffee.
So why do we pay $4 to $5 for a cup of coffee? Some might argue that it’s not expensive at all when you consider the cost of management, labor, and building rent. But that’s hardly a convincing argument when you consider that other retail businesses in the same area are also expensive. When you consider takeout, which accounts for a significant portion of sales, the price of coffee isn’t a complete explanation – we’re paying far too much for coffee to be just food.
This imageization of food isn’t just limited to coffee, for example, but also to dishes served at certain restaurants. We are heavily influenced not only by the flavor and quality of the food itself, but also by the environment in which it is served, the mood it evokes, and the image of the place. Food prepared by a famous chef or a meal at a trendy restaurant provides an experience beyond just a meal, which in turn makes us willing to pay more for that experience. This phenomenon is changing the pattern of food consumption across society, leading consumers to seek more than just a meal.
So what are we paying this money for? Why do we often hold up coffee cups when we take photos with atmospheric concepts, and why do some women even carry Starbucks mugs and place them in plain view of others? Could it be that they’re appealing to the image of the sophisticated urban woman who’s busy grabbing a takeaway coffee on the go? True, we can’t objectively prove the proposition that images are influencing food consumption, but I don’t think there’s much disagreement that this phenomenon exists.
Despite my playful portrayal of the phenomenon, I don’t think that the imaging of food is necessarily a bad thing: as an element of ritualism and a huge part of our culture, it’s become an unstoppable trend, for better or worse. As long as food is featured in the dramas we watch, and certain foods are more favored by certain demographics, it’s going to be unstoppable, so why not try to mitigate its negative effects and steer it in a more positive direction?
After all, the way we consume food is becoming increasingly image-driven. Of course, this runs the risk of blurring the nature and value of food. We shouldn’t forget that food is for people, and that taste and nutrition are its intrinsic values. But at the same time, we shouldn’t forget that in the modern world, food has become more than just nourishment; it has become a cultural and social symbol. The important thing is to find a balance in this transformation. When we consume food, striking a balance between its image and its essence will be the way to create a food culture that we can be truly satisfied with.
What I worry about is that if these images become too much of a factor in our food consumption decisions, the underlying value of food can become distorted. What if wine deliberately avoids popular flavors in order to become a more upscale drink? What if coffee became more expensive in order to more fully represent a more capable person? We need to be alert to these things. If we recognize these phenomena, maybe we can prevent ourselves from running out of places to go when we’re looking for really cheap and delicious food.