Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I like your definition, but maybe add this to distinguish it from the previous one: "A foodie is a person who, regardless of tax bracket, is captivated and interested in foods...."

That makes it way more universal. People with little resources still appreciate and have a marked interest in culinary variety. This interest doesn't only belong to the privileged few.

when your hungry, you make jello instead of buying the store brand...thats a foodie.

I both like and dislike the term foodie. Someone I respect attached that to me during the holidays last year. I'm still not quite sure how it was meant. I am passionate about food - from the way it's grown/raised, marketed, prepared and enjoyed. I love to cook - to some degree that leads me to know a little about the food itself. I agree with moibec - it has nothing to do with income/assets - it's all about the food.

@pumpkinbear - I couldn't agree more ... that is definitely a food snob!
A true foodie is someone who simply loves food and everything about it, preparing it, cooking it, and most of all eating it.

@Luna, there's another one afoot who keeps starting threads that seem to have little other purpose than to insert his/her blog addy. You'd think that these people would figure out how to flog a blog (or business) in a less obvious way.

@Luna, I'm definately not talking about you, or anyone else who posts relevant comments with their website as a link or tagline. There's nothing wrong with that. Heck, I've found lots of interesting stuff that way.

And I have no problem with people who post about websites that have pertinant information for a conversation. Sometimes it's easier to post a link, and that's fine.

I'm talking about people who appear out of nowhere, have never posted here in response to anything, and seem to be only interesting in posting new threads related to their blog or business.

Or who reply to a dozen threads with something that says, "read my blog!!!"

Hello all. At the risk of sounding defensive (forgive me for taking some of these remarks a bit personally), I feel compelled to respond. It's a very long post (forgive me again), so if you'd rather not read the whole thing, the salient points are in the first couple of paragraphs...

I'd like to clarify that my quoted statement above was made in a very particular context and in no way was it offered as *the* definition of a foodie. I think, in reading the original post, it should be obvious that I was attempting to specifically illustrate the fact that there are many types of foodies, and that the profile of a typical foodie found on SE may differ greatly from the profile of other typical foodies found elsewhere. Also, I wanted to point out that just because other types of foodies may not frequent web forums, it doesn't mean they aren't out there, and it would be a huge mistake to assume their absence means that the foodies found on web forums are representative of all foodies. Apparently I failed to adequately communicate my point as it was intended. To anybody who felt I was being condescending (or snobby), please accept my apology.

That said, it's not at all clear to me how the person I described is automatically a food snob. I gave no indication as to whether this person would shun certain foods, would avoid eating inexpensively, would find some types of foods or dining experiences to be beneath them, would judge food on anything other than taste and quality of ingredients, or engage in any other remotely similar "snobby" behavior. I merely described the particular demographic profile of a typical foodie found in my locale. Nowhere did I suggest that this person does not love food for the sake of the food. The only thing I mentioned was this person's financial wherewithal, approximate age bracket, and probable political leanings. To jump to the conclusion that this person is a food snob who doesn't really enjoy the food for its own sake, or to assume that he or she would ONLY engage in the activities described at the level described, well... that strikes me as a sort of prejudice, a snobbery in its own right.

For the record, my husband and I are both of very humble origins. We were raised by people who adore food, and were taught to appreciate it in all its forms and varieties. I've been a foodie my whole life. There was very little money for eating out or expensive ingredients when I was growing up, yet my parents instilled in me a love of good, well-prepared food. They taught me how to grow my own food, how to shop for quality within my means, how to prepare it well, how to turn even the most inexpensive ingredients into a pleasurable feast. They showed me how to be open to new food experiences of all kinds, how not to be afraid of "exotic" or "bizarre" ingredients, and gave me my love of exploring and finding the best-kept-secrets of cheap, divey, hole-in-the-wall eateries. They also taught me the good table manners that allow me to comfortably dine in the high-end restaurants I've been fortunate enough to visit, how to properly order off a menu, how to appreciate and treat the servers respectfully, and how to determine an appropriate tip. In short, they taught me to love everything about food. Hubby and I both come from worlds where food and love are truly synonymous.

Nowadays, although I've been blessed with the resources to take my love of food to new levels that I once thought I'd only dream of, I still eat at In-N-Out (too often) and off street carts in developing countries where refrigeration is still an abstract concept. I regularly cook humble comfort foods like fried okra, and cornbread, and rice, beans and tortillas. I do so because I truly love those foods. I even on occasion have the audacity to actually enjoy such horrors as *gasp* Velveeta cheese.

Hubby and I have long described ourselves as Recreational Eaters, because we cook and eat as a form of entertainment in itself. We've been known to plan entire travel itineraries around the dining opportunites. When we entertain, all decisions are based on the diners, their food likes and dislikes, and so forth. I selected our wedding venue based first and foremost on its reputation for stellar food. It was of enormous importance to us that we *love* everybody exceptionally well that day (i.e., we wanted to stuff our loved ones full of really good food).

We have the means to travel the world in search of fantastic street food one night, and a fine meal at Per Se or el bulli or Cinq another. We will undoubtedly appreciate both experiences equally, although for different reasons. You may on rare occasion see a slab of $38/lb dry-aged prime beef on our grill, just because we wanted to indulge in something special, and felt like cooking at home. You're just as likely to find canned beef from Costco in our pantry, which might get mixed with some canned beans and homemade chili powder for the world's fastest pot of homemade chili. You'll usually find $10-$12 wines or cheap Mexican beer in our house. We buy them because they're tasty and because they're relatively economical. But once in a while, hubby might bring home something like a bottle of Opus One, just for fun, and (yes) because he can.

The majority of the foodies we know who live in our area are not much different from us. It's our demographic. Apparently, some people feel that makes us food snobs, and excludes us from the world of "real" foodies. Everywhere I've ever gone in my life, it's food that has been able to draw people together in spite of religious differences, economic disparities, language barriers, and the like. I've never failed to find a foodie, whether it's in front of a street cart in Bangkok, or in the gorgeous markets in Paris, or Daniel in NYC.

It's beyond my capacity to understand how a professed love of food can be turned into something so judgmental and divisive. To me, that's everything a foodie is not.

In response to what a foodie is, Serious Eater Loco said:
"In my world, foodies are those who have the resources to travel, dine in high-end restaurants, enjoy premium wines, entertain a lot, and buy and experiment with expensive specialty ingredients. They are more likely to be a bit older, much more moderate, and generally have somewhat conservative leanings. And most of the people I know are way too busy to play on Internet forums! So, I guess it depends a lot on what type of foodie you're talking to."

Sorry, but the above is one of the snobbiest things I've ever read, anywhere. (just my honest opinion) Maybe it just came out that way or maybe you don't realize you're like that. Either way, it's just food!! We eat it, we love it. Pretty simple.

@PumpkinBear ~ Believe me, I relate. My home of 23 years is being sold at Sheriff's sale on Tuesday, because it wouldn't sell, due to a septic nightmare. Everything I have is in the equity, so now, I'll have nothing. If it weren't for family and dear friends, I'd be homeless. As it is, I have to move in and disrupt someone's life. I know what broke is, and how it feels, especially when you're sick and disabled, and unable to get a job. .

@caramel ~ ditto what Luna said. LoCo is a treasure and her words were taken out of context.

@LoCo, any topic can be divisive and judgemental, depending on the people involved. There have been plenty of discussions here where people have said, "That food is evil and bad for you and tastes icky and no one should ever ever ever eat it" -- well, not in those exact words, but you get the drift -- and at the same time, there's another thread where people are happily discussing their adoration for the same food. Some people are willing to say that different tastes are just different tastes, while others get downright insulting about it.

And the term "foodie" has been discussed here multiple times before as well, with some people saying that they don't want to be called a foodie and others embracing it. The definition obviously isn't set in stone, so there's going to be some disagreement. Whether the disagreement turns unpleasant or not depends on the people.

Maybe the quote in the original post was taken out of context, I don't know. Certainly those people might consider themselves foodies. It's not the definition I chose, but I think that was the point -- to see what people thought the term meant.

I can, however, see how you felt a need to go on the defensive here.

Keep in mind, everyone is entitled to their opinion and their personal point of view on any subject. If one is offended by what they "feel" is an intended insult, that is on them. I know I have gotten quite feisty on occasion and I have been criticized numerous times for my diatribes. I am fine with that! I am enlightened every day by the great posters on SE. I appreciate the feedback and more importantly the support I get when I ask a stupid question that the all knowing SE posters (with their eyes rolling) answer with patience and even greater insight.

That said, I consider myself a "foodie", just because I believe. There are no guidelines or rules in my life. I just am. I believe, therefore I am.

I respectfully ask each of you to just "be" the foodie of your own desire. It really doesn't require a definition. If you believe, you are.

I am a food snob. Let me give you an example. I go to the local farmers market Friday with the Husband, which is loaded with produce, baked goods, herbs, meats, cheeses. I go from stall to stall the cukes look dismal, the baked goods pederstrian, the herbs shriveled. I buy a huge head of caluiflower the size of my head and I say lets go (to another farmers market) Husband says you mean all this baked stuff doesn't make you hungry and I say no not in the least. Often people serve dessert at their houses and I look at it and shake my head. Don't you want some of my cherry cake with vat O cherry icing. NO NO and NO.
There is a foodie someone who digs some ecletic eats and then there is the food snob, who is too sexy for some food stuffs.

A foodie is anyone who recognizes him or herself in any or all of the following:

One who views food as more than gasoline for the body.

One who revels in the prep of a meal and does not see cooking as a necessary evil en route to chow time.

Someone who can make a meal materialize seemingly out of thin air with the simplest of pantry ingredients.

Someone who starts thinking about T-Giving the first time the mercury dips below 78 degrees.

Someone who gets overly excited when the special mobile baking aisle appears bearing its bounty of flour, brown sugar and...Condensed milk!!!

Someone who finds community and kinship in cooking and breaking bread with others.

Someone who raises those who cook to near-deity status.

One who doesn't view his or her lunch break as an annoying interruption of the workday but a welcome respite to recharge body and soul.

Someone who can easily turn a conversation about a basin wrench into a dissertation about the culinary habits of early man.

Someone whose first thought about a rainy day is not how fast he or she can find an umbrella but where to find the closest grilled cheese and tomato soup.

On a list of favorite smells, a foodie will list "sauteing onions, bread baking and cinnamon" ahead of "leather, stargazer lilies and new car smell."

That's all I can think of right now.

@chiff ~ I beg to differ! If you use an All-Clad to crown someone, you know it will do the job better than any other, and not be damaged in any way. If you try to get the same results (are we looking for just a coma here, or something more dire? - never mind, it would work for both) from a cheapie pan, you'll probably get crowned right back and bend, buckle or warp the pan, rendering it useless for any further application. Moral of this story: Always go for the All-Clad, if you can. Just my opinion. ;-D

@LPC ~ took your quiz and loved the interpretation of the results. Clever, true and really funny

@chiff ~ well, who bopped who (or is it whom)? ;)

@LunaPierThroughNeighborsWindowsAt Night ~ I agree that cast iron would do the trick (wasn't that movie awesome?), but you need strong biceps to swing and contact properly. In all due respect, I think there is a reason All-Clad saute pan costs $197.00 and the comparable cast iron is $1.97. It does the same job, but is lighter and, in my humble opinion, prettier. For the purpose in question, All-Clad can do the job with one arm only. (If it were me, I'd use cast iron onacounta I don't have the good stuff.)

Enough, already!

@snowmoonelk ~ Enough what?

I stole this directly from AC... but it seems to fit perfectly as far as I'm concerned... I hope you'll all agree.

Foodies come form all walks of life, and can run from fanatical to conservative, investigative to experiential. The foodie is just like you and me, but with one signature difference. They literally live to eat, and can provide us with examples of passion, remarkable insight, and humor in the world of food. Food historians, nutritionists, and culinary professionals may also fit within this category, but regardless of industry or experience, foodies continue to share their passion for food in unique and creative ways.

@dbcurrie ... gentleman?? Oh, yeah ... rrrriiiiight ... ;-)

@izmaniac, yeah you would be. :-D

@ubereater, looks like you've said a mouthful!

A very broke foodie is one who travels the world by lovingly preparing all those dishes she cannot go to far off exotic places to eat.

I can't actually travel the world for now, so I explore the world in my food.