What is a foodie, anyway?

by Nicole Weston, Posted Feb 10th 2006 @ 3:27PM

Foodie is a term that we throw around a lot here at Slashfood. The dictionary defines a foodie as "someone who has an ardent or refined interest in food." In previous decades, words like "epicure" or "gourmet" were used to apply to the same type of person. The words 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.

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 Cheetos 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? No, but you still look for good, fresh produce. Are there some foods you just don't like or weird foods you like? That's ok - it doesn't make you any less of a foodie. Just like food, learn about food and, most importantly, eat food.

Filed under: Did you know?, How To
Tags: did you know, enjoy food, foodie, foodism, foodist, how to be a foodie, like food, LikeFood, love food, slashfood, slashfoodie, what is a foodie

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

2-10-2006 @3:51PM sarah said... for some reason, i have always associated the term "foodie" with snobbism, like gourmet, and never use it unless to poke a little fun at someone.

however, epicure doens't seem like a bad word to me at all. so strange, these perceptions!
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2-10-2006 @7:04PM ejm said... I've always hated the term "foodie" and like Sarah, have only used it in a derogatory way. "Gourmet" and "epicure" don't bother me at all. Having said that, I wouldn't term myself as any of those... even though I do like food (a lot). Yikes!! Maybe I am a foodie (shudder) after all.

-Elizabeth
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2-10-2006 @10:41PM alps said... when presented with a choice between a filet and great piece of pizza, a snob will eat the nasty over cooked peice of fillet but a foodie would eat a nice tasty cheesy peice of pizza over that nasty fillet
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2-10-2006 @10:47PM George said... I think of "foodie" as a more convenient term for "foodophile" (and easier to say at that). Someone who genuinely loves food, who gets excited about going to the grocery store to shop for items for a new recipe, and who would gladly delete prime time TV episodes from his/her TiVo to make room for more FoodTV.
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2-11-2006 @1:13AM L. said... I`ve never thought "foodie" meant "gourmet" -- I mean, why not just say, "gourmet," if that`s what you mean? When I call myself a "foodie," it just means, as you say, that I am interested in food -- all kinds of food.
Some "foodies" are "food snobs," but not all of us!
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3-05-2006 @5:49PM Jennifer said... My boyfriend accused of being a "foodie" and I denied it all along. Just because I talk about food, like to eat it, watch it, smell it, and daydream about it makes me a foodie??? However, I have come to terms to admit that I am guilty as charged... "Hello, my name is Jennifer and I'm a foodoholic. Please welcome your newest, baddest, and unrepented member to this muther effin' town! =) xoxo
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