The Best Food Talks To Attend At SXSW

Stimulate your appetite

If you're headed to Texas this week for South by Southwest, Austin's annual film, media and music festival, it might be safe to assume you've packed your schedule to the brim with viewings and Keynote speeches (including one from America's favorite uncle, Joe Biden). But as you're running between indie music set lists and tech expos, consider stimulating your appetite by attending one of SXSW's amazing food talks.

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With topics ranging from the millennial generation's fascination with Snapchatting dinner to the surprising ways we can bring more diversity into restaurant kitchens, these five food-focused SXSW sessions are well worth squeezing into your itinerary.

① #FoodPorn or Bust: The Socialization of Food

It seems like we can't dive into our unicorn cupcakes or avocado toast without first snapping a pic, so it's no surprise that "full-time food Instagrammer" is now very much a real job title. As millennials double tap and swipe their way through Instagram feeds and Snapchat stories, this session answers perhaps the most important question of all: If you didn't 'gram it, did you really eat it?

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② Livestreaming and the Future of Food TV

Some of us long for the days when Julia Child graced our analog screens and Food Network's educational programming didn't get chopped in favor of, well, Chopped. But in the era of Facebook Lives and Periscope streams, what exactly does the future of food TV look like?

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③ Feeding Our Food Obsessions: Snake Oil or Science?

Ten years ago, the words gluten free and Paleo were barely a part of our dining vocabulary, but take a peek at restaurant menus today and you'll see entire sections dedicated to either food-related accommodation. At this event, Cortney Burns of famed SF restaurant Bar Tartine explores how rapidly changing dietary interests affect the restaurant industry.

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④ Stay Hungry: Increasing Diversity with Food & Hip Hop

While prominent people of color are a growing presence within top culinary schools, high-end restaurants and food media, this talk discusses new, more creative methods for increasing industry diversity.

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⑤ Think Outside the Trash Can: Fight Food Waste Now

Roughly one-third of the country's food supply, which could be used to feed families in need, is simply thrown away. And while many chefs are joining sustainability pioneer Dan Barber's fight against food waste, this talk offers even more solutions on how to save the environment and end hunger at the same time.

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