The Food Trends Anthony Bourdain Hated With A Passion

If you know anything about Anthony Bourdain, you know he wasn't a man who minced words. From the fast-food chain he loved to his favorite cocktail, Bourdain, who died in 2018, never hesitated to share his opinions, good and bad. In a 2016 Reddit thread, the celebrity chef aired his grievances about the food trends he couldn't stand.

One food trend the late chef was tired of seeing was the mania surrounding pumpkin spice-flavored foods. On the Reddit thread, Bourdain bluntly wrote that he would "like to see the pumpkin spice craze drowned in its own blood. Quickly." Yet, by 2017, Bourdain admitted in an interview with Refinery29 that public opinion on pumpkin spice everything was in opposition to his own and that "I sound like a complete curmudgeon at this point."

Another hot topic for Bourdain was the ubiquitous use of the word artisanal to describe different foods. He told VICE that artisanal potato chips were nothing more than overpriced chips, and routinely criticized those who got a bit too into craft beer, often stating that he simply preferred a good, cold beer to endless discussions over brews.

In a 2017 Tonight Show segment, Bourdain expressed his opinion about the trend toward variations of the spendy Japanese Kobe beef. Ordering Kobe sliders or Kobe meatballs came at the top of Bourdain's list of signs that "something has gone terribly wrong in your life." In particular, he argued that Kobe meat should never be ground as the unique texture and taste of the meat simply could not be maintained or properly enjoyed this way.

Bourdain also shared his dislike of juice bars. "I like juice and I like bars," he said but explained that he was confused about what you do in a juice bar and unflatteringly linked some cleanse-focused beverages to drinks consumed prior to colonoscopies. He also objected to wallet-emptying prices, like paying "$19 for a kale shake."

Bourdain also told Tonight Show viewers that one thing that decidedly did not make his hate list: the pastry mashup trend. "Cronuts may get too much attention," he said, "but they do have their attraction." It makes you wonder what he would have thought about the cronigri.