Rich people ruin everything. Just about when something cheap and valuable hits the mainstream, they flock to it and drive the prices up. This pushes out the folks who depend on it and forces them to find new alternatives, later appropriated by the rich. It’s a vicious cycle. Here are 18 foods that got caught up in that dynamic.
Tacos
Tacos used to be the simple street food of the people. Now, fancy taco shops and gourmet taco tricks dot the landscape, serving an array of high-end tacos to their swanky customers.
Avocado Toast
Now, the breakfast of Millenial hipsters, costing about $20 a plate, avocado toast was once a rather pedestrian dish enjoyed by poor avocado farmers.
Lobster
Before demand led to overfishing, diminished supply, and high prices, Lobster was cheaper than chicken. Centuries ago, rich folks wouldn’t be caught dead eating “sea bugs.”
Fajitas
The skirt steak was once a cheap alternative to more expensive cuts. The popularity of fajitas, however, drove the price up over the years. While not as pricey as some things, fajitas still cost way more than they used to.
Chicken Wings
Before they became bar favorites, chicken wings were considered rather pedestrian. But with the invention of Buffalo wings, all that changed. Now, entire restaurants are dedicated to serving chicken wings.
Quinoa
This grain used to be cheap, like barley and oats. Over the years, booming popularity as a superior led to inflated prices and a more sophisticated clientele.
Ox Tail
Once a favorite of poor farmers looking not to waste a thing, ox tail is now one of the most expensive dishes you can get at some restaurants. Jamaican restaurants are known for serving stellar ox tail but charge a pretty penny for a plate.
Pho
This Vietnamese soup is a delicacy that bred specialty restaurants in its name. A soup made from a bone and meat broth with rice noodles was once a cheap way to fill one’s stomach. Now, it’s considered an exotic date night entree.
Dark Bread
Brown flour was once cheaper than white flour, meaning all the poorest folks’ bread was dark brown with a rich flavor. Nowadays, that rich flavor is sought after, and both the bread and the flour have priced the poor out of the picture.
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Once a reliably cheap domestic beer, Pabst Blue Ribbon has garnered much success in recent decades. It’s now priced on par with Budweiser and Miller, which it had previously been much cheaper than.
Ramen
Remember being broke as all hell in college and living on a few squares of ramen a day for about $.25? Not anymore. Ramen has shot up in price, both at the store and in specialized ramen shops that serve dressed-up noodles to high-class clientele.
Beef Brisket
The king of meats was sometimes several dollars a pound. Brisket was a cheap way to feed large families, making it popular amongst poor farmers with many kids to feed. Today, brisket is prized as one of the more expensive meats, costing around $12 a pound in some places.
Kale
Once the greens of poor European farmers, kale has become another expensive superfood, in the same vein as quinoa. Hip, overpriced kale salads are all the rage amongst vegans and vegetarians.
Fish and Chips
Potatoes and fish were staples of the British Isles’ poor population. When those people immigrated to America, they brought their love of fish and chips. Cheaper by far to make, fish and chips now command more or less the same price as just about anything else on a restaurant menu.
Crawdads
Originally the food of impoverished bayou-dwellers, crawdads are now known as a regional delicacy. These tiny crustaceans fetch a high price compared to their humble beginnings.
Soul Food
Soul food began as whatever was on hand for cheap that would fill you up and give you plenty of nutrition. As black culture moved into the mainstream, so too did soul food. Unfortunately, this led to an inflation of prices surrounding essential dishes.
Oysters
Once, it was some of the cheapest protein a person could buy. Oysters are now one of the priciest. Baked or on the half-shell, smoked or fried, oysters aren’t a pennies-on-the-dollar food these days.
Caviar
Believe it or not, this symbol of wealth and status was once so cheap it was served free at bars, much like peanuts are today. Why anyone would pay an arm and a leg for fish eggs escapes me, but some people still do.