I have a friend, one of the most unique individuals I've met, who proves that it's possible to have strong food culture in the US (SF at least). For him, food is an all-day event starting at 6:30am when he goes down to the docks to buy fresh fish. Then he'll go to an olive orchard to pick olives, which he takes to a friend who has the machinery to make olive oil. He picks cilantro from his garden to start the chimichurri as he peels garbanzo beans for the hummus. Etc etc.
When I was visiting him I wanted to stop by the Safeway a block from his house and he was fascinated by it because he had never been to a Safeway before.
It's amazing, and I respect it a lot, but here I am, I just ate some freeze dried french fries, and I'm OK with it. Most Americans are like me, and we're all OK with it. That's the point of the article. But, I will say, if you want to be a true foodie in America, the opportunity is there.
When I was visiting him I wanted to stop by the Safeway a block from his house and he was fascinated by it because he had never been to a Safeway before.
It's amazing, and I respect it a lot, but here I am, I just ate some freeze dried french fries, and I'm OK with it. Most Americans are like me, and we're all OK with it. That's the point of the article. But, I will say, if you want to be a true foodie in America, the opportunity is there.