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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.
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.[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]
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in the culinary industry that the term gourmet is outdated.
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,[3]
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. from Wikipedia. |
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