• The Internet as Infrastructure: Tandoh argues that the internet has replaced farms and supermarkets as the primary infrastructure of modern food culture, where apps and algorithms now dictate our appetites.
• Manufactured Desires: The book posits that "authentic" hunger rarely exists in a vacuum; instead, our cravings are learned and monetized through "thirst-trap" recipes, viral TikTok trends, and corporate marketing.
• Case Studies of Modern Eating: Tandoh examines specific phenomena, including the global explosion of bubble tea, the rise of TikTok critics like Keith Lee, the history of supermarkets, and the "delusion economy" of wellness drinks.
• The Evolution of Content: She traces how food media has shifted from functional cookbooks to visual-first "food porn" designed for social media engagement rather than actual home cooking.
• Societal Power Dynamics: The essays explore how forces like migration, labor, and technology (e.g., QR code menus and delivery apps) create a distance between the eater and the cook while providing a "paradox of plenty" that often causes more anxiety than satisfaction. 

Why the Book is Relevant in 2026 

• Peak "Foodie-ism": It addresses a world where food has shifted from a "fact of life" to a 24/7 national pastime and core identity marker for almost everyone.
• Algorithm Influence: As of 2026, the book remains a critical tool for understanding how social media algorithms—like those that drive viral "hype queues"—fundamentally engineer human taste and behavior.
• Critique of the Wellness Industry: It provides a timely riposte to the "piratical" wellness sector, which increasingly invents new health anxieties to sell specialized functional drinks and supplements. 

Strengths 

• Historical Depth: Tandoh connects ephemeral modern trends to deep historical research, such as comparing 19th-century salesmen to modern TikTok influencers.
• Engaging Prose: Critics praise the book's "delightful snark," "warmth," and "witty" tone, making complex socio-economic topics highly digestible.
• Democratic Approach: Unlike traditional food critics, Tandoh values "low" culture (like fast food and supermarket ice cream) as much as "high" culinary arts.
• Originality: It explores niche areas of food culture—such as the "contrived carelessness" of modern dinner parties—that are rarely discussed in mainstream food media. 

Weaknesses 

• Structural Fragmentation: Some reviewers found the book's essay format disjointed, lacking a central organizing principle or cohesive narrative thread.
• Rapid Obsolescence: The heavy use of current internet slang and specific social media references (like Keith Lee or Nara Smith) may cause the book to feel dated within a few years.
• Indignation Over Rigor: At times, her personal grievances and "acidic put-downs" are noted to occasionally outweigh rigorous analytical depth in certain chapters.
• Geographic Ambiguity: The text frequently switches between UK and US contexts without enough explanation of the distinct food cultures in each. 

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• All Consuming by Ruby Tandoh | Summary, Quotes, Audio

  1. Modern Food Culture: A Socially Engineered Appetite. You can't separate 'real' appetites from 'fake' appetites manufactured by ...