2012 was a huge year in food, from a "pink slime" lawsuit, an upswing in contamination and the devastation wreaked by a massive drought to Paula Deen's diabetes revelation, increased scrutiny of foie gras and pork producers, and the (likely) end of Twinkies.
We'll be sharing our favorite stories and the ones we think most shaped the year in food, but for now, we're going strictly by the stats. Our readers clicked, shared and had plenty to say in response, and here are the top ten stories of 2012 in each of those categories:
Ten Most Read
10. Eat them before they eat everything
9. Tipping point – family locked in restaurant for skimping on mandatory gratuity
8. Why your grandma swipes sugar packets
7. Bowing down to the demon ramen and other collegiate culinary indignities and delights
6. Paula Deen confirms that she has type 2 diabetes, unveils partnership with drug company
5. Dangerous foods – don't eat these at home
4. Paula Deen – From the frying pan to the firestorm
3. Guy Fieri strikes back at critic who flamed his restaurant
2. 'Pink slime' manufacturer sues ABC News for $1.2 billion in damages
1. Got a minute (or three or four)? Perfect your coffee pour-over
Ten Most Shared on Facebook
10. Report finds 69% of pork contaminated with bacteria – 3292 shares
9. Saddle up for maximum snack satisfaction (mathematically speaking) – 3404 shares
8. 'World's 50 Best Restaurants' in 2012 – 3537 shares
7. The bitter truth behind the chocolate in your Easter basket – 3687 shares
6. Mad cow disease confirmed in California – 4147 shares
5. Anthony Bourdain: Eat out and tip big to save NYC restaurants after Sandy – 4239 shares
4. Arrrrren't you going to celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day with a rum cocktail? – 4502 shares
3. National cheeseburger day – 6566 shares
2. Beer, whiskey and pork fat: the new health foods? – 11,345 shares
1. National drink beer day – 23,741 shares
Ten Most Commented Upon
10. Bowing down to the demon ramen and other collegiate culinary indignities and delights – 884 comments
9. Chefs with Issues: Immigrants in the kitchen – 1102 comments
8. Are kids too young to understand veganism? – 1128 comments
7. Paula Deen confirms that she has type 2 diabetes, unveils partnership with drug company – 1220 comments
6. Tipping point – family locked in restaurant for skimping on mandatory gratuity – 1381 comments
5. 5@5 – Why hunting your own dinner is an ethical way to eat – 1441 comments
4. When crying kids disrupt dinner, who ends up paying the price? – 1451 comments
3. Paula Deen – From the frying pan to the firestorm – 1458 comments
2. Opinion: Why I’m celebrating Chick-fil-Gay Appreciation Day – 1612 comments
1. 'Pink slime' manufacturer sues ABC News for $1.2 billion in damages – 1759 comments
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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You can certainly see your enthusiasm within the work you write. The arena hopes for even more passionate writers such as you who aren't afraid to mention how they believe. All the time follow your heart.
These are what the National Inquirer internally calls, or at least called, "Hey Martha" stories, as in: "Hey Martha, you gotta see this insane story."
I feel like I should point out that the reason some (can't say all b/c I haven't read them all) of those articles are "popular" because people couldn't really believe how dumb they were.
Take the article on poisonous foods and the article on hand poured coffee for example. It looks like most of comments are negative.
Seems odd to me to highlight articles over the year that generated so much NEGATIVE feedback. Sure they were popular – but not necessarily for the right reasons. OH well, guess *any* publicity is good publicity. Taking cues from the Marquee blog nowadays.
Oh, this ought to be good...