Printwho's a foodie here?
Hi Everyone,
I'm wondering what people around here think of the term foodie. Is it how you self-identify? If so, why? If not, why?
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27 Comments:
Even though "foodie" doesn't sound very elitist - hell, it ends in an "-ie" like little kids nicknames - I think of a foodie as someone who is an elitist about food and goes to posh restaurants that serve macaroni and cheese for $20/plate to foie gras and truffles. I don't consider being elitist bad because I'm an elitist in other facets in my life. :P
I wouldn't qualify at all as a foodie (in my eyes of what one is), because
- I go to hole in the wall restaurants mostly
- I love trying new foods, but most of all, I love to eat food that I love
- I'm not a critic, just picky about the way my food is prepared
Cassaendra at 2:08PM on 02/28/08
I've never been comfortable using the term, but I've never run across a suitable all-purpose synonym either.
Other words seem either sillier, (foodist), too pretentious, (culinarian), or limited in scope, (gastronome).
srhcb at 2:09PM on 02/28/08
I use it, but usually in a slightly disparaging way. Naturally I never refer to myself as one! I just feel like I have so much to learn about food and wine that I could never consider myself a foodie. My family would probably say that I am a foodie however, because I think about food sourcing, prepping and eating way too much. I don't think that I'm so hard to please though. I prefer cheap ethnic restaurants to the new "in" spots. And while I enjoy wine, I don't fret about marrying the perfect bottle with the perfect bite. I just think that people who talk about food too much miss the point. Food should be the supporting cast for a wonderful evening spent with friends. The conversation should center around the people you're dining with, not what you're dining on. Of course a comment or compliment or two is not intrusive, but complaining or being overdramatically about ordering the wrong thing sets a bad tone.
Otabenga at 2:50PM on 02/28/08
@Casseandra & Otabenga: How do I say this? I agree with the opposite of what you're saying. I love eating a hole in the wall restaurants and get excited about all kinds of food (new and old) but I think that's exactly what a foodie is! You don't need to be an expert, just be enthusiastic.
I think a foodie is an overused term in our society and I'm guessing it could offend some people. Kind of like the term Indie. (I listen to public radio, wear glasses, and sort my recycling, I'm soooo Indie.) It's just a label for someone who cares more about their food than the average person. A foodie doesn't necessarily need to spend $20 on foie gras and truffles, but can understand why someone else would. My friends would absolutely call me a foodie because I'm always the first to speak up when we're planning dinner and the only one who will return my plate if the food is unsatisfactory. Though it gets a lot of eye rolls, it's my tastebuds and my money at stake here!
LiveToEat at 2:59PM on 02/28/08
Well, I'm not a gourmet, by any means, but I don't know if there's a better word than "foodie." I care about what food tastes like and how it's prepared, and I make an effort in my own home to serve the best food I can. And sometimes "best" means that when I have a craving for something that a gourmet would look down on, it doesn't bother me one bit. It's more about the care that's taken in preparing the dish, and doing the best with what you have.
Food, for me doesn't have to be fancy. It doesn't have to be expensive. It doesn't have to be trendy. It just has to be "good" defined by my version of good for that particular day as well as my food mood at the time.
While I have a dislike for crappy food, prepared carelessly, I'm quite tolerant of cooks who try to serve a good meal but don't have the skills. Resources are another story, but good food doesn't have to be expensive.
Have you ever seen "Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie" on TV?
dbcurrie at 3:01PM on 02/28/08
To me, a foodie is someone who cares about food and cares about what they eat. I don't think "foodie" has to mean you spend a lot on food or eat crazy things. I think it just means having a passion for food. So yes, I am a foodie!
K at 3:28PM on 02/28/08
I don't mind the term foodie. To me it just means someon who loves food. I love food of all kinds from homemade soups at the corner deli to fresh grade A sushi. I love the entire experience of food from shopping in the market to chopping vegetables, setting the table, making cocktails, enjoying conversation while eating. Food is an important part of gathering for me whether it is an outdoor summer BBQ or Christmas dinner. I get excited about baking Christmas cookies and I love growing my own vegetables and catching fish and clams for dinner. I don't know if my "definition" is correct but I just think it means having a passion for food.
KtMc24 at 3:34PM on 02/28/08
LivetoEat, I definitely conform to your definition of a foodie as well, though I'm unlikely to send something back at a restaurant, unless the dish is totally different from its description. But I think most servers want to be accomodating, especially if the request is made with a smile on one's face! I'm not looking for fancy or expensive, just DELICIOUS!
Honestly I was thinking about a friend of mine that I would call a foodie because he steers the conversation toward food and wine because that's an area in which he's knowledgeable. He'll come to dinner with three bottles of wine to make sure he'll be served something that he likes to drink. Another guy I work with is always talking to me about what he made over the weekend, and half the time I don't care!
But I think the foodie label is all relative, because I'm sure my family thinks the same way about me! I think about and talk about food way more than the rest of my family. They're always looking to me to recommend a restaurant or to start making dinner. And I'm always ready with some idea and may come accross as pushy!
Otabenga at 3:40PM on 02/28/08
I'm indifferent. It's part of my user name here but only because I was staring at the monitor trying to choose a name and the word "foodie" was relevant to this website.
I guess it depends on how you define "foodie". As usual, I went to Wikipedia to see what they had to say. In differentiating it from the word "gourmet" they say,
"...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". -Link.
Interesting entry. So in this sense, I am a foodie and have no reason to dislike the term.
Of course, anything can be innocuous or offensive, depending on how it's said.
CanadianFoodieGirl at 3:45PM on 02/28/08
I hate the term, mainly because there are a lot of negative associations with it, and the currently implied/inferred meaning is different than what was originally intended. It's come to be associated with snobbism, so I don't call myself one. Nevertheless, according to Wikipedia, it is exactly what I am:
I still don't like the term. Not a big fan of labels anyway. I just love food. Love eating it. Love trying new ones. Love cooking it. Love the science of it. Especially love feeding it to people to make them smile. Love finding stellar eateries, whether a hole-in-the-wall dive or an over-the-top Michelin.
Foodaholic?
LoCo at 3:51PM on 02/28/08
***Raises hand*** I'm definitely a foodie. I consider it a great compliment. I'm the first one my friends "go to" for a recipe, cooking question or "HELP! I did (this) to (that) WTH do I do next???" My favorite room is the kitchen, recipes are always circulating like so many tornadoes crashing together in my head and my life is a search for the perfect "insert food name here."
I'm definitely a foodie.
chiff0nade at 3:53PM on 02/28/08
I am not a foodie. I am a food person. It's only one syllable longer and is, I think, far more descriptive. Most of my friends are also food people, they love finding great new places, often on the cheap, or new foods, love to cook, or at the very least, eat. I love the science of food. One of my best friends is an amazing restaurant chef. That said, I don’t think any of them refer to themselves as foodies. They’re either food people, or they like food. I totally fit into the Wiki thing that LoCo just posted, but man, I really hate the term.
chisai at 4:06PM on 02/28/08
If I said, I don't care what you call me, just call me for dinner, then I definitely wouldn't be a foodie, because someone else would be doing most of the cooking. I love to cook almost as much as I love to eat, sometimes more, and I enjoy discussing food, nutrition, recipes, restaurants, etc. with friends and strangers. I guess that makes me a foodie, but I don't care much for labels either.
PerkyMac at 4:14PM on 02/28/08
I'm a foodie.
If people want to beleive that it is because I eat foie gras and waygu beef every night, then so be it. But I'm really a foodie b/c I'm fascinated by food and it's combinations, textures, varieties, and the experiences had with it. I eat at Michelin restaurants and hole-in-the-wall burger and wing joints. And occasionally after a night of eating oysters and drinking champagne, you'll find my at McDonald's the next morning trying to cure my hangover with a chocolate milkshake.
meganaw at 4:16PM on 02/28/08
I think maybe "foodie" has come to include some negative connotations. When I say "foodie," my boyfriend translates that as "snob." I've never considered myself a food snob, I'll try anything, eat anything or eat anywhere. I actually love discovering new hole in the walls joints, especially when they serve ethnic food. I'd like for foodie to mean someone who loves food, who's interested in it, who loves to cook and loves to cook those they love and care for. In that case, I have no problem considering myself a foodie. I just don't want people to think I"m an elitist snob because that's not the case at all- espcially not when it comes to food.
PumpkinBear at 4:20PM on 02/28/08
I agree with chiff and I also throw my wooden spoon in the pot. I built a kitchen and a home around it. I hated the word gourmet. It sounds like you are a food category. I like epicurean. Discriminating food afficinado.
Food snob; which is the truest, non spun truth to my definition. I was born a food snob my mother says, as I would spit things at her I did not like as a baby.
What I find amazing is how much respect you get as a "foodie".
When people invite me to their house they go out of their way to make sure that I know they tried their best. It is like being a food critque.
JerzeeTomato at 4:52PM on 02/28/08
I prefer the term "evolved."
HunterAnglerGardenerCook at 4:53PM on 02/28/08
I am a foodie, and dang proud to be one. I love shopping for ingredients, I love putting them all together to make a fantastic meal, I don't care if the wine doesn't match. My favorite room in my house is my teeny tiny kitchen. I'm the girl my friends and family call for cooking advice and tips about new and/or different restaurants. My favorite restaurants are little hole in the walls. I'm constantly teaching myself how to be a better cook. I made my own cheese once! I love to bake bread. I make my own stock. I read restaurant reviews religiously and menus that I look up on-line. I've been known to curl up with a good cookbook and read it for hours. My hero is Julia Child. I just have a passion for food and want to learn everything about all of it. If all of that makes me a foodie, count me in.
aungeinphx at 5:20PM on 02/28/08
I'll call myself a foodie. I purchase and prepare quality natural (not processed crap) ingredients. I love to cook for my friends, whether it's mac and cheese or a standing rib roast and all the sides for the holidays. I love to try new things and serve them to my hungry friends. I can enjoy a decadent ribeye with all the fixin's in Midtown or a quick supper at a hole-in-the-wall up here in Westchester. What matters is what goes into the prep. In fact, holes-in-the-wall are my favorite places. Saturday night my fiance and I ended up at an Asian joint in a strip mall in Armonk; we were both raving about the food and have sworn to go back again. Yeah, food(ie) is good, it's all about love.
ride&cook at 5:25PM on 02/28/08
All right, I'm a foodie too! @Aungeiphx described me to a T. I just don't want to bore other people with my obsessiveness. Guess that's why I com here a couple times a day!
Otabenga at 5:30PM on 02/28/08
Wow! I am so happy I came home from work tonight!! The "Foodie" label. I place my hand over my heart, strike that, over my food processor, and proclaim to the world....."I AM A FOODIE"! There, I have said it. Who cares about anything other than the fact each of us who is a Foodie, can say that to another Foodie, and an instant knowing bond is formed and respected. The good, the fresh, and the tasty commitment to food. I have literally spent hours perfecting recipes and have delighted in the joy on the faces of the people who have enjoyed the results! Oh my, I get goosebumps! (I hope I don't get in trouble again today
crazyspice at 8:27PM on 02/28/08
I have never considered the term "foodie" an insult or desultory term. I will throw myself in the fray with those that are somewhat honored by that desciptor. My husband and I have quite evolved culinarily but have never forgotten our roots. We love whipping up a foie gras appetizer with a rhubarb gastrique and the next day we may grill up some juicy burgers. We simply consider ourselves liberal arts majors in the world of gastronomy.
I would never describe us as gourmands or culinarians; we're definitely more like "uber-casual gourmets ".
frederika at 10:42PM on 02/28/08
When I stopped to take a picture of a particularly well laid-out plate I prepared so I could post it on one of my boards in the "What's Cooking" folder under that day's thread, BF said, "You're such a foodie."
Yeah, I am.
It seems to me that the majority of those who have spoken out here, foodie is not a derogatory term. Even if it were considered less-than-flattering, I align myself with those who believe the following - which is a favorite tag line of mine and a good description of foodie...
"Food is more than gasoline for the body." Sustenance can be effective if it's providing everything necessary for the body to run, but isn't it nice when it's tasty and properly garnished?
Foodies are people who see occasions to eat as cause for thought and celebration, not an inconvenient interruption of whatever else it is you're doing. Be it a hamburger from your favorite "dive" or the Beef Wellington at One If By Land TIBS, whatever it is, it's got to be good.
Even a quick grab of leftovers, stuffed into a tortilla, nuked and eaten on the run can be delicious - because how did those leftovers taste during the first run? Non-foodies don't care about such things.
My dad is an amazing cook but he eats to live.
I live to eat.
And cook.
And talk about it.
And share it with my friends and family.
This undeniably and unapologetically makes me a foodie.
chiff0nade at 10:32AM on 02/29/08
i am not cool enough to be a foodie. it seems like you need a certain level of food knowledge to even be considered and damn, that seems like a lot of work.
foodinmouth at 10:39AM on 02/29/08
I say I'm a "foodie" but with a somewhat tongue-in-cheek attitude. I'm a foodie because I read cookbooks the way others read novels; I read every article in the newspapers and magazines that pertains to food; my conversations most often are food centered; I read up on restaurants in the New York area -- even though I can't eat in most of them (because I observe Jewish kosher rules), I love to cook and bake and I'm a fanatic about finding the best ingredients possible (even if it means spending extra money); I love to cook for guests and are happiest when they tell me it's the best food they ever tasted. So I guess I'm a foodie.
SavtaShayna at 12:43PM on 02/29/08
I'm a foodie, too. It's a shame that a perfectly good word has become a stigma. Like liberal. Or gay. I read on Chowhound that the hounds are definitely not foodies. What the heck are they then? They spend all day chiming in to every possible thread, ranting about everything from holes-in-the-wall to El Bulli. They're foodies. Take back the word. Foodies unite!
zapatista at 12:44PM on 02/29/08
A term like foodie is generally a descriptor of another person, not yourself. More or less anyone reading/posting on this site would be defined by most people as a foodie, and not necessarily in a derogatory way. IE: you call your friend the foodie for reservation/recipe advice.
But labeling yourself a foodie in real life (posts on a board like this don't count) might come off as sort of arrogant. Depends on the crowd though...
thankyoulove at 1:10PM on 02/29/08