Foodie

Foodie is an informal term for a particular class of aficionado of food and drink. The word was coined in 1981 by Paul Levy and Ann Barr, who used it in the title of their 1984 book The Official Foodie Handbook.

Distinguished from gourmet

Although the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, foodies differ from gourmets in that gourmets are epicures of refined taste who may or may not be professionals in the food industry, whereas foodies are amateurs who simply love food for consumption, study, preparation, and news. Gourmets simply want to eat the best food, whereas foodies want to learn everything about food, both the best and the ordinary, and about the science, industry, and personalities surrounding food. For this reason, foodies are sometimes viewed as obsessively interested in all things culinary. There is also a general feeling in the culinary industry that the term gourmet is outdated. "Foodie-ism" is a modern, popular way of engaging food culture for the general population.

Pursuits

Foodies are a distinct hobbyist group. Typical foodie interests and activities include the food industry, wineries and wine tasting, breweries and beer sampling, food science, following restaurant openings and closings, food distribution, food fads, health and nutrition, and restaurant management. A foodie might develop a particular interest in a specific item, such as the best egg cream or burrito. Many publications have food columns that cater to foodies. Interest by foodies in the 1980s and 1990s gave rise to the Food Network and other specialized food programming, popular films and television shows about food such as Top Chef and Iron Chef, a renaissance in specialized cookbooks, specialized periodicals such as Gourmet Magazine and Cook's Illustrated, growing popularity of farmers' markets, food-oriented websites like Zagat's and Yelp, publishing and reading food blogs (a number of people photograph and post on the Internet every meal they ever make or consume), specialized kitchenware stores like Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table, and the institution of the celebrity chef.

Foodism in the Media

Foodism owes its wide popularity to the media, particularly television. With the Food Network as probably the most widely known channel dedicated to food culture, the foodism fad is propagated through cooking shows, like Paula's Best Dishes, food documentaries, like The Best Thing I Ever Ate and even reality shows such as The Next Food Network Star. PBS previews it's own, more classic cooking shows, like Julia Child and Jacques Pepin: Cooking in Concert. Various other channels that profile food are The Fine LIving Channel and The Travel Channel. Films, magazines, and books have also contributed to the current foodie craze, usually promoting expensive ingredients and exotic recipes as the types of experiences foodies should aspire towards.

Well-known foodies

• Paul Levy, invented the term "foodie"
• J. P. Norton, operates The Heavy Table, a foodie website for the Upper Midwest
• Jason Perlow, founded eGullet and profiled in the New York Times
• Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine

See also

• Gastronomic hierarchy
• Gourmand
• Gourmet

External links

• Find Your Inner Foodie
• William Safire's distinction between gourmets and gourmands
• Dan Restione calls for a revolution against the term "foodie"
• The Final word on "Foodies?" from WanderingFoodie.com
• Chowhound Board: For those who Live to Eat
• Epicurious: For People who live to Eat
• Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie