This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
In the space of 25 years, the contents of our grocery baskets and our daily diet have profoundly changed. Who would have, for example, predicted that our spag sauce would one day sit alongside hummus in our fridge, or that our meats would become vegan? Person. But if there is a show that has accompanied, or even anticipated, these multiple changes, it is good The grocery store, on the airwaves of ICI Télé. We therefore took advantage of the participation of its two dynamic leaders at the 25e edition of Montréal en Lumière to meet them… and take a big tour around the table.
The show The grocery store is so much a part of our habits on the small screen that we often forget that it was created in 2002. Its aim was to guide consumers in their cooking and in their food purchases, while home economics courses had been abolished in secondary school. An addition to the program which quickly became a sacred weekly meeting to discover and understand the evolution of our diet.
In 2002, the bases of Quebec houses had already undergone changes. “We were already far from the lifestyle of the previous generation,” says Johane Despins, who has co-hosted the show for 16 years, including 2 with Myriam Fehmiu. Our grandmothers, often housewives and responsible for large families, prepared three meals every day. » But, from the 1970s, this traditional vision of food gave way to the emancipation of women from their kitchen, as well as to a gradual opening up to the world.
“The supply has literally exploded,” confirms the host who will leave the show on June 30. Currently, there are more than 30,000 products in the average grocery store, including many ready-to-eat products. We therefore no longer base our meals on steak, Indian wheat, potatoes and frozen fish as we still did 25 years ago. Or at least, if we always do it, we now know what’s in front of us! »
Advances and limitations
Johane Despins and Myriam Fehmiu believe that many things have changed for the better over the past 25 years in terms of food. They firstly underline the importance of access to information, which has enabled the media (not to be confused with social networks, where we hear everything and its opposite) to investigate, evaluate and, if necessary, to denounce the practices of the environment. Source of food, breeding methods, scandals such as the artificial increase in the price of sliced bread or the buttergate… “A long way has come since the time when it was difficult to obtain information, even if only from Health Canada,” mentions Johane Despins.
The two presenters note other progress, such as our attraction to the cuisines of the different cultural communities that populate Quebec. They also highlight the reappropriation of our exported marine riches, or the evolution of the display of products, the ingredients of which we can now know. This gradually leads to a simplification of recipes. They also highlight consumer awareness of the local, fair and sustainable nature of their food. “25 years ago, just a handful of chefs relied on local, whereas today, it has become a norm, including in certain concepts of fast food », says Myriam Fehmiu.
Despite everything, observations remain: “It is still the prices, and not the health, sustainable or ethical added value, which direct the contents of our plates, especially at the moment,” recognizes Johane Despins. “It should also be mentioned that all these gains are fragile, and that inequity still reigns in terms of food in Quebec. Food deserts and the price of fresh produce, inaccessible for some people, are examples of this,” adds his colleague.
A future without cooking?
While cooking shows and classes abound around us and it has never been so easy to equip and stock up, the two hosts of The grocery store observe another major change in our relationship with food.
“The new generation in their twenties no longer eats like the previous ones,” explains Johane Despins. She will follow TikTokers, such as Laurent Dagenais, to have fun cooking at the end of the week. But in her daily life, she likes to eat ready-to-eat foods. Half of his budget even goes into restaurant expenses and home-delivered meals. » The expert emphasizes that this attraction for immediacy combines with that of novelty, so much so that it is difficult, if not impossible, to retain the loyalty of this particularly volatile clientele.
“Adding to this phenomenon recent technologies, real estate densification which tends to offer smaller and smaller housing – in Japan, many no longer even have a kitchen – and the breakdown of traditions such as large tables, everything suggests that in the future, people will order their basic foods online. They will only go to the grocery store, which has become a food hall, to buy fresh products and ready-to-eat meals,” says the host.
Myriam Fehmiu also discusses the impact that global warming, already visible in our agricultural production, will have on our supply in the future. “We will have to adjust at some point and accept that the variety of offerings we have today will be reduced. But it will be for the best, I think, for us and for our planet. » An opinion shared by his colleague Johane, who also pleads for a cultural change in our food policies. “And you know,” Myriam concludes with a smile, “you can absolutely create haute cuisine with a simple rutabaga! »
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.