So who or what is a Foodie?
Foodie is a term that has been thrown around a lot recently, mostly with a negative outlook. The dictionary defines a foodie as “someone who has an ardent or refined interest in food.” I prefer the informal term for a particular class of aficionado of food and drink. In previous decades, words like “epicure” or “gourmet” were used to apply to the same type of person. Those terms are out of favor now, and bring to mind stodgy, snobbish people who are only willing to consider a restaurant that has truffled pate on the menu. This is because good food was hard to get and expensive in years, decades and centuries past. People didn’t have the resources to buy virtually anything they could want and often wouldn’t have the means to cook it. Now, both times and terms have changed thankfully.
Anyone can be a foodie!
To be a foodie is not only to like food, but to be interested in it. Just as a good student will have a thirst for knowledge, a foodie wants to learn about food. A foodie will never answer the question “What are you eating” with “I don’t know.” There are some basic traits of being a foodie, as there are basic traits that come with all labels. Generally, you have to know what you like, why you like it, recognize why some foods are better than others, and want to have good tasting food all, or certainly most of the time. This doesn’t mean that you can’t eat flaming hot Nachos every now and again, but it does mean that you don’t fool yourself into thinking that it’s a nutritionally balanced meal. Do you have to know the difference between a beefsteak tomato and an heirloom tomato? No, but you might be interested to find out what it is. Do you have to only shop at farmer’s markets? Of course not, but you still look for good, fresh, local produce. Are there some foods you just don’t like or weird foods you like? That’s perfectly fine, it doesn’t make you any less of a foodie. Simply enjoy food, learn about food and, most importantly, eat food!
In other words, you can be a foodie too!
