From flannel shirts to asparagus water at Whole Foods, the United States is currently enraptured in the “hipster movement.” No one really knows how to describe a hipster, but we all know a hipster when we see one. Across the US, college students continue to try to channel their inner hipster, but the true exemplary, model hipsters originate from the great states of the Pacific Northwest. Here is the inside scoop of what the real hipsters from Washington and Oregon consume, so that you too can become one step closer of reaching your goal of “ultimate hipster.”
1. Fancy Beer in a Can
Image courtesy of @oskarblues on Instagram
This is not the shitty beer you get in college. This is real beer. The stuff you get in a bottle, except it’s in a can. A fancy can. An environmentally friendly can.
2. Cold Brew Coffee
Image courtesy of @stumptowncoffee on Instagram
At many coffee shops in Portland you can watch your cold brew being slowing made, one tiny drip at a time. Making one cup of cold brew can take up to 5 hours. The Local Roasting Co. is the epitome of a hipster Portland coffee shop because you can watch the owner roast his own coffee beans while sipping your cold brew made with homemade hazelnut milk, all while watching more cold brew being made in a fancy contraption.
3. Brussels Sprouts
Image courtesy of @bakery_bingo on Instagram
Gone are the days when your mother forced you to eat bland boiled Brussels sprouts. From chili, lime and mint Brussels sprouts cooked in a wok at Departure to fried brussels sprouts at Tasty n Alder, Brussels sprouts are the new hippest food in town.
4. Granola
Photo by Isabelle Crary
Probably granola you made. Definitely with ingredients from bulk. Put in bags your brought yourself (because using 12 different bags from the store is wasteful). Obviously stored in a mason jar.
5. Quinoa
Photo courtesy of windattack.com
You knew this one was coming. College students often have strong opinions about quinoa– it’s either love it or hate it. Most of the haters though have only experiences the failures of dining hall quinoa, hipsters know how to do quinoa right. Check out of some these ways to cook with quinoa that are 100 times better than the try quinoa burgers your dining halls tries to tempt you with.
6. Blue Star Donuts (or any fancy donut)
Photo courtesy of @bluestardonuts on Instagram
You may be surprised that the famous VooDoo Doughnuts does not make the list. While we know that the Maple Bacon and Marshall Mathers VooDoo Doughnuts will always have a special place in our hears and we will still wait in line to get them, the real hipsters know that Blue Star Donuts is where you go for true quality northwest donuts.
7. Truffe Oil
Photo by Max Bartick
It’s fancy (because most hipsters are food snobs and food connoisseurs to some extent). It’s delicious. Most importantly, truffle oil is acceptable for pretty much every diet a hipster might be on (vegetarian, vegan, even paleo). Don’t worry, even as a college student surviving on ramen or crappy dining hall food, there are still ways to eat truffles when you’re on a college budget.
8. Kale
Photo courtesy of @the.peasleys.table on Instagram
You knew this was coming. Possibly even more hipster than quinoa. According to both hipsters (and Whole Foods), kale can go in pretty much anything: guacamole, sausage, smoothies. I will still always question some of the foods kale ends up in though.
9. Pickled Vegetables
Photo courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen on Tumblr
Gone are the days when cucumbers were the only pickled vegetable. You can now get pickled carrots (actually delicious), asparagus, beets and so much more. These vegetables will give you more satisfaction than munching on some raw cauliflower (although we all know you would still rather just dig a spoon into a jar of Nutella).
10. Food Truck Food
Photo courtesy of @jennyhighlife on Instagram
Portland in particular is known for its excessive number of foods carts. The city is filled with entire blocks of food carts. On Washington street you can find Chinese style crepes at Bing Mi, and entire food cart dedicated to your childhood love of grilled cheese (hello Grilled Cheese Grill, and even a bicycle powered smoothie machine.
11. Espresso
Photo courtesy of @studiomon on Instagram
Do not even think of adding any sugar or asking for it blended with 12,000 shots of caramel. Hipsters drink their coffee straight and strong.
12. Anything Locavore
Photo courtesy of @seattlefarmersmkts on Instagram
What is locavore you ask? It’s everything local. You will frequently see hipsters carrying their reusable bags at the farmer’s market on the weekend because hipsters know that local food is both more delicious and better for the environment.
13. Eggs from your own chickens
Photo courtesy of @portlandfarmers on Instagram
Yes, the new hip trend is having your own chickens.
14. Homemade Jam
Photo courtesy of @itsjustlaine on Instagram
Step 1: Go pick your own fruit (because it has to be local remember).
Step 2: While picking your own fruit, make sure just to eat a ton of the fruit right off the bush because it’s delicious (and questionably free?).
Step 3: Make your homemade jam.
Step 4: Store your jam in a mason jar (obviously).
15. Wild Spring Chinook Salmon
Photo courtesy of @so.ripe on Instagram
This food does exclude the large portion of hipsters who are vegetarian or vegan. However, many hipsters know the value of being pescatarian (or just eating all meat sans restrictions). Nothing is better than freshly grilled northwest salmon that your neighbor caught for you earlier in the day. Remember, you best be eating the salmon wild (none of that dyed farm raised fish), in the spring (because that’s when the fish is tastiest), and fresh (freezers are where good fish go and become bad).
16. Kombucha
Photo courtesy of @gtskombucha on Instagram
You need to brew the kombucha yourself to be a true hipster. However, if you’re still in the transition period to being a hipster, feel free to buy it from the store. Not a hipster yet and still completely confused what kombucha is? Spoon can help you out with that.