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Dear Helena,
I keep reading about food swaps being really trendy right now. What is the etiquette? For example, do you have to trade your stuff for items you might not like just to be polite? Also, I feel a bit weird about eating food from the kitchens of total strangers. How do I know their cooking is safe? Is it rude to question people about how they have made something?
—Jam for Pickles
Dear Jam for Pickles,
Unlike at a cookie swap, at a food swap you generally get to choose with whom to trade. But your fellow participants are often strangers, which means you don't have to worry about giving offense. I interviewed some veteran food-swappers and got the basic etiquette rules.
Take a leap of faith.
Food swapping is like going on a date with someone you met online: You make your best guess about what you want, and if you pick wrong, the worst that can result is boredom or mild revulsion. Yes, since no money changes hands at food swaps, there are no government safety regulations to protect you—you have to take a leap of faith and just trust the food is safe. It's rude and boring to grill someone relentlessly about the purity of his ingredients or his kitchen hygiene. So don't ask, "How thoroughly did you wash your hands?" or "Are these pears organic?" Particularly with fruit jams, jellies, and preserves, you don't need to worry. "It's highly unlikely you will get sick from canned jam because of the acidity level," says Kate Payne, author of The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking. To be on the safe side, avoid canned meat, which can be dangerous if improperly prepared. "I would never trade a home-canned bacon marmalade," says Payne.
Keep it low-key.
The food swap is not an opportunity to promote your start-up kombucha or flavored-butter company. That's missing the point, says Payne. The homemade look and feel and the relaxed atmosphere are part of the charm. Payne recommends a bake-sale aesthetic. In other words, put your matcha brownies on "a plate with a piece of Saran over it." Skip the colored cellophane and ribbon curlicues.
Don't be afraid to say no.
A food swap is not like a family potluck at which you choke down a helping of Aunt Gertie's gefilte fish casserole out of politeness. You shouldn't worry about other people feeling rejected, any more than you worry about the people who run the gourmet food shop feeling crushed when you walk out without buying anything. Bethany Rydmark, who has organized food swaps in Portland, Oregon, recommends that hosts "announce at the start that people can accept or decline with no guilt. That helps set the tone." Payne suggests a polite way to refuse: Simply say, "Let me see what I end up with, and if I have something extra I'll talk to you later."
If you're the one who is rejected, know that it's not necessarily because your stuff looks unappetizing. It may be because your item is too humdrum. Swappers favor the exotic. Rather than strawberry jam, says Payne, people might go for "home-preserved fancy figs in a cordial" or a home-infused liqueur, like the marjoram vodka she picked up at one swap.
Don't haggle.
The general rule of food swaps is one item for one item. Otherwise, it gets too competitive. No one wants to hear: "Well, I stayed up until 2 a.m. hand-shaping these empanadas, so one of them is worth at least two of your chocolate chip cookies."
Do pity swaps.
If you've got everything you want and you still have extra jars of your quince butter, don't take them home again. Swap your leftovers with people whose offerings have been ignored. Rydmark says more sophisticated cooks may swap for items they don't really want as a way to encourage beginners: "It's like a foodie high-five." Even if you aren't particularly interested in someone's gluten-free scones, you can probably think of something to do with them. You can always give them to a homeless person.
If you are observant quickly note their general grooming,such as clean nails,hair etc.Nervous mannerisms like scratching nose,ear ,hair,scalp are instant deal breakers if you are a Pro chef,line cook or server .So,the same standard applies in this setting.Above all trust your instincts.If you suspect deliberate tampering though,accept it smiling -"to enjoy later" then call the police.Let your...+READ
If you are observant quickly note their general grooming,such as clean nails,hair etc.Nervous mannerisms like scratching nose,ear ,hair,scalp are instant deal breakers if you are a Pro chef,line cook or server .So,the same standard applies in this setting.Above all trust your instincts.If you suspect deliberate tampering though,accept it smiling -"to enjoy later" then call the police.Let your common sense rule .-COLLAPSE
I won't eat anyone else's food unless I know how clean they keep their house. Some people are disgusting. I worked in IT and when I saw some people's laptop computers, I knew I would avoid their dishes at the company potluck.
If they are cat owners, how do I know their cat doesn't use the box then climb up on the counter? Gross.
For me this is a bad idea. Instead I and a friend cook together our foods that they (or I) want to learn. We're together, we laugh and watch carefully taking notes. I can't imagine just swapping a dish or item with someone I know nothing about. I do love it when friends randomly bring a dish over (I do the same) for their valued opinion.
I can't wait til there's a CSI episode on this: poisoning by food swap.
I'm glad to hear none of you germaphobes will be participating. That'll leave more room for me to enjoy food from others who enjoy preparing it and vice versa.
I have been the chef for a meal site for 4 years and I can tell you this. The homeless person does not want your gluten-free scones or fancy figs in a cordial. They want affordable housing. As a rule, they don't like your "yuppie food" and your cast offs are an insult: you could not/would not take the time to find out what they do like.
This seems like it would make the most sense for those who decide to take on projects that involve preserving/pickling and end up with jars and jars of one item. And also the health risks would be far lower.
it's one thing to do this with people who are at least acquaintances, or part of a community where you would know someone who knows them (like fellow church members, or fellow school parents). but to me, eating food that a total stranger cooked at home is odd - no way would I do this, and i'm not a horribly fussy eater.
when eating food someone prepared, there are safety issues, and therefore...+READ
it's one thing to do this with people who are at least acquaintances, or part of a community where you would know someone who knows them (like fellow church members, or fellow school parents). but to me, eating food that a total stranger cooked at home is odd - no way would I do this, and i'm not a horribly fussy eater.
when eating food someone prepared, there are safety issues, and therefore trust is important. In a restaurant, we trust strangers for a number of reasons - others have eaten there, there are government regulations, they are professionals who likely have training, and we know that they know they won't stay in business if they poison people.
I'm not trying to put down people who do this - of course there will be different views on it. But it's outside of my comfort zone ;)-COLLAPSE
My mom participated in a food/cookie/christmas baking swap for years. We would watch her make all our favorate foods only to be traded for the odd and unusual (and sometimes store bought)
I love when I'm given baking or food by a friend, but I don't want a random trade
I think a food swap should be preceded by a potluck of the same foods, or at least have samples available. Who would want to part with their goodies only to get some things they don't like?
I think this sounds really neat. I admit I'd rather do it with people I at least know (though may not be close friends with) rather than strangers, but I think I'd be willing to go for a group of strangers too.
I guess I'm not trendy, because I haven't heard of this. Agree with the earlier posters that this sounds like a bad idea. I don't participate in cookie swaps, because I hate to trade my cookies for someone elses overbaked hockey pucks made from bad ingredients. I don't see participating in a food swap unless it was with a select group of cooking friends.
this might work better between a group of friends who know and trust each other. perhaps a once a month/every couple months type of thing.
http://cookingupastory.com/food-swap
This video outlines a local food swap which might explain the concept to newcomers a bit clearer than this Q&A did.
I've never heard of this before either, and I also think it is an extraordinarily bad idea.
You couldn't pay me enough to engage in something like this.
First exposure to this activity. Seems like an idea whos' time shouldn't have come.