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Food porn is prevalent now with the popularity of cooking shows on cable channels, people posting photos of their meals on social media, and timelapse food videos on YouTube.  Ubyssey noted that the videos have thousands of views and shares on various social media sites and are even played in supermarkets that stream from TV sets strategically placed above food aisles.

Amy Hanser, a sociology professor at the University of British Columbia, explained the deeply psychological appeal of the food videos to instant gratification and intense pleasure that fills the brain when watching a recipe made to completion. She pointed out that food was not always an object of careful representation, but with technological advancements, the evolution of food representation has sped up.

From cookbooks to videos

The website cited the evolution of how recipes were passed down, first orally through family members and friends. It was later written and compiled into cookbooks that included photographs. From TV channels that showed hour-long segments devoted to food, the Delish-style videos are saturating every social media platform with so many hours of quick, colorful, and very satisfying content.

The videos encourage home cooking which is virtuous. Hanser explained that there is something satisfying and wholesome about making your own food, even if it is not as delicious as eating it in a restaurant because it makes home cooking seem effortless and accessible.

Southern food

Meanwhile, lovers of southern food have a new cooking show to watch with recent premiere last October 9 on the Cooking Channel of “Southern and Hungry.” The show is hosted by Damaris Phillips and Rutledge Wood.

The duo went to southern towns known for its food, such as Savannah, and other places that make food specific to the region and highlight the places that make southern food in a new and updated way.