If 2020 was a food, what would it be? We asked, you answered

Sprouts are up there

4 years ago

It’s officially September which means after another crazy, confusing and borderline unbelievable month, it’s that time of year when we are supposed to be doing nothing but laying blissfully hungover on the couch with our housemates after a lovely summer.

Instead, we’ve all been left feeling rather bamboozled by whatever the hell has happened over the past few months. It’s quite the contrast from the ‘norm’, or at least what we were doing eight months ago.

Eight short months ago (seriously, where did the time go?), we all dressed up to welcome in 2020. If you were anything like me, you thought that this was going to be your year – the best one yet. As you yelled ‘happy new year’, the future seemed exciting. 2020 should have been like the perfect cake, adorned with your favourite confectionery and smeared with copious amounts of buttercream.

But nope.

Instead, it’s been stale and left most of us lost for words. I mean what even is 2020?

So, in an attempt to describe what the hell has happened over the last 36 weeks we asked you: if 2020 was a food, what would it be? And here’s what you had to say…

Firstly, the classics

The foods that of course made an appearance: Marmite, mushrooms, and sprouts. One response went so far as to say that 2020 has to be “a marmite sandwich on mouldy bread“. It really has been a bad year. Other classic food choices included oysters, olives and – naturally – a cheeky bounty.

Next, the controversial

Some responses were dangerously bold, with one person claiming that 2020 is best summarised by “a welsh cake“…yikes. You do live in Cardiff, you know. Another person simply answered: “anything from Fattoush“. Student culture is officially shook.

The classic controversy of pineapple on pizza naturally arose, with several people agreeing that it best epitomises the horrifying year that we’ve had so far. The next response evokes one of the greatest debates of all time: Cardiff Met…I’m staying out of it.

…2020 on a plate?

The raisin-haters?

What’s with all the hate on raisins? A few people compared this year to the sinking feeling of biting into a yummy chocolate chip cookie (Lidl’s finest freshly baked, obvs) only to discover that those gooey chocolate chunks are actually dried, wrinkly, old grapes. Another person said 2020 was like a “sushi roll covered in cheese and onions and then u bite into it and it has raisins“. The clear trauma expressed seems appropriate for the year tbh.

The drinks menu

As a nod to all those Sambuca-fuelled freshers embarrassments, of course everyone’s kryptonite also had to feature. We also had a few people mention the nauseating Candy Cane VK or, more controversially, the basic Blue.

However, one person may have come close to top spot with a smoked salmon smoothie…yummy.

But the winner really has got to be…

Amongst the best of the best answers, such as “jellied eels“,”Seafood Pizza“, and “a ‘just ham’ sandwich from Tesco“, there was a food that I think summed up 2020 perfectly: The food left in the flat over lockdown. Think of whatever has been “rotting at the back of every uni fridge” and that soggy brown banana left in the back of your cupboard since April… enough said.

Irrespective of your own personal preferences, it’s safe to say that the general consensus was one of disdain. Therefore, I think it’s pretty safe to say that this new way of life is a far cry from what most of us would choose off the menu, or what we had envisioned for our year.

But, for now, just do what you can to boost your immune system and your mood; wash your hands, be kind, be patient and know that just because the last eight months have been as disappointing as a batch of soggy pancakes, you never know what the next batch will hold.