Foodie
Foodie (sometimes spelled foody) 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 were sometimes used interchangeably, foodies used to differ from gourmets in that gourmets were epicures of refined taste, whereas foodies were amateurs who simply loved food for consumption, study, preparation, and news.[1] 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.[2] After some time of differentiating between the two, the term Foodie is now considered the term for food exploration and enjoyment, whether gourmet or not, thus superseding the term Gourmet.
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 and occasionally reopenings, food distribution, food fads, health and nutrition, cooking classes, culinary tourism, 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 and many of the websites carrying the name foodie have become popular amongst the foodies.[3] 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,[4] food-oriented websites like Zagat's and Yelp, publishing and reading food blogs like foodieworld, specialized kitchenware stores like Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table, and the institution of the celebrity chef. There is also a growing market for culinary tourism, with tours led by operators such as Aspiring Adventures in Peru, and Zest Food Tours of New Zealand.[5]
Viewpoints on the word
Chris Onstad, author of the webcomic Achewood and the author of the The Achewood Cookbook, stated a dislike for the term. Onstad said "There are so many words that already describe the concept of people who like food, or enjoy cooking, or enjoy knowing about cooking. "Foodie": It's like the infantile diminutive—you put a "y" on the end of everything to make it childlike. We don't need it. It's embarrassing. "I'm a foodie." Oh my God."[6] However, the term Foodie has grown obstensibly in popularity, while being considered hip as well as the fashionable norm in terms of a moniker. The webcomic author, therefore, may be a lonely voice in his distaste among the palate of the majority. [citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ Nicole Weston (February 10, 2006). "What is a foodie, anyway". AOL Living. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
- ^ "FAQs about food". the Nibble. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
- ^ "The Foodie Stores". Jayanth Dev India's Best Online Review Site.
{{cite web}}: External link in|publisher= - ^ The Healthy Foodie (July 31, 2008). "Canadian Farmers Markets: Where to Find Them". AOL Life & Style.
- ^ "Culinary tours". Aspiring Adventures. Retrieved 2011-06-14.
- ^ Norton, James. Chow down, dude. Salon. Tuesday April 10, 2007. Retrieved on July 23, 2011.
External links
