The Campaign
Customers want good experiences. Venues want good customers.
We want to make part of that relationship easier.
What is this all about?
Food is universal, food preferences and aversions are not. What each of us comes to like and dislike comes from our genes, our cultures, and our experiences. Though while it’s easy to talk about our likes, it can be vulnerable to talk about our dislikes. We want to make it easier and simpler to avoid being surprised by what you dislike.
What are we asking for?
If an ingredient changes the taste and experience of the dish, find a way to let people know before they order. We think written next to the dish may make it easier for everyone, but find what works best under your constraints.
What are we NOT asking for?
Sometimes, it's as important to frame what you don't want, as much as you do.
In that spirit:
This campaign is NOT about hating ingredients.
You do you. Just not our mission.
This campaign is NOT asking for recipes to be changed.
Restaurants should serve the dishes they want.
This campaign is NOT about avoiding cuisines.
Far from it, you should be experimenting more, seeing what you like!
Campaigns do not happen in a vacuum. There's a deeper history to acknowledge here.
For some ingredients, like MSG, the push for disclosure was both caused by and worked to inflame racial prejudice. A history that new campaigns are challenging, as with the MSG brand Ajinomoto's push to change "No MSG" to "Know MSG".
But even when well-intentioned, there can be side effects. The push on sesame allergen disclosure in the USA unintentionally helped expand the use of sesame in some products, leading to more difficulties for people with sesame allergies.
The campaign pushes on a universal part of ordering food, in how people communicate taste and what is disclosed on menus. But ultimately, the immediate focus on herbs means that not all cuisines face equal demands on disclosure. However, while this may fall unequally, the standard the campaign hopes to push is universal.
So let's make this clear. If you don't like an ingredient, fair enough. The ingredients we focus on for disclosure are beloved, and they should be.
What we take seriously
Some Reasonable Questions
SOME REASONABLE QUESTIONS
WHY NOT JUST ASK THE SERVER?
Not all restaurants and cuisines use the ingredients equally. You may not even know there was a need to ask, until the dish has already arrived.
WHY NOT JUST PICK IT OUT?
First, picking out the leaf might not take away the flavor.
Second, depending on the herb, picking it out isn't feasible, such as chopped cilantro, chopped parsley, or dill.
Third, it's a terrible experience to pick something out, worrying you didn't get all of it.
CAN'T YOU JUST GET USED TO IT?
Unfortunately, not really. You might prefer some foods, like people prefer hot dogs to burgers; but imagine for a moment that when you tasted a hot dog, it just always tasted like toothpaste. No matter how someone prepared it, cooked it, or what else was on it. It just still tasted like toothpaste. You might go out of your way to not order a hot dog. Some people do not have a choice in how they experience or taste their food.
WON'T THIS JUST CLUTTER MENUS?
This is a concern! And it depends entirely on the system that works best for both the customer and the venue.
WHERE WOULD IT END?
Good question. Honest answer, we don't know yet. Menus should not just be a breakdown of the recipe for each dish, but there's a median between giving enough to help people decide and new ways of thinking about how to communicate that information.
AREN'T THERE BIGGER THINGS TO FOCUS ON?
Many. This is a small part of a larger set of questions, which still deal more with the enjoyment side of life, rather than structural change. But doing one doesn't preclude the other.
What comes next
This is the first run. When we change our mind, the campaign will change. And we will always be open to changing our minds. If you want to follow the work and see more of the thinking, check out the essays.
For more: Essays