It’s really a random question, but has been on my mind lately; are geeks (i.e the technically inclined) also foodies (i.e lovers of all things food)?

I ask because I’ve noticed some similarities in the two groups recently. Now, I usually shy away from generalizations because I don’t believe in labeling entire groups of people (although one could argue I’m committing the crime by using the labels geek and foodie at all), but I’ll begin this post by saying of course not all geeks are foodies, and not all foodies are technically-minded. However, watching twitter posts, reading blogs and talking with peers and coworkers in the tech industry, I do notice certain affection for food and for the discussion of food - a common foodie characteristic. This affection is not just based on the simple act of eating, but the more about pleasure of consuming interesting, flavourful cuisine. It seems like there is a lot of discussion about really good food and really great cooking happening online, not by cooks and restaurant critics, but by application developers, content producers and software engineers. There are also different social gatherings related to technology that are surrounded by top cuisine. I will use the recent success of Cupcake Camp TO as my primary example; an event that was promoted and discussed online, where many participants were not only cupcake bakers and eaters, but also members of Toronto’s digital community. Is there a link? Many “tweeters” dedicate their 140-character updates to descriptions of yummy dinner menus and pictures of beautiful (and mouth-watering) food they are about to consume. I love it! Maybe it’s just that food is a common element amongst all of us, so it’s a natural topic of conversation, but I believe it goes further than that. The same people that demand quality, local ingredients, creative recipes and amazing culinary experiences also seem to share similarities in social media, web 2.0 and other internet trends. So is it the case that not only are geeks often lovers of technology, but that we’re also dedicated lovers of great food?

Maybe I just see the connection between technology and food because I am passionate about both culinary arts and digital media, but I do think there are some similarities.

I often view cooking as both an art and a science. Cooking can be a very personal, beautiful act and it can also be the product of superb execution of different chemicals and materials. Culinary arts require creativity, as well as on-the-spot thinking and acute problem solving. Wouldn’t you say the same about web production?

I love discovering new restaurants and local eateries from my online community. I also really enjoy reading reviews and discussing food on boards such as Chowhound and restaurantica. In an age of user generated content and a trend towards local food suppliers and farmers, I think the two complement each other quite nicely, don’t you?

Are you a geek, a foodie or someone who doesn’t associate with either group? What do you think?

Foodie, Web 2.0