Foodie: What is a Foodie?

Foodie: What is a Foodie?

We have all heard the term “foodie” before.  But are you one?  A foodie is simply an informal label for anyone who is a food enthusiast.  We all love food, but a foodie is a devotee of everything food, such as consumption, study preparation and trade news.  A foodie is especially interested in the cooking and eating, of course.  Put simply, they want to learn everything that they can about different kinds of food.

In the past foodies were referred to as “gourmets”, but they slowly achieved a negative image in the media and culture.  Gourmets were concerned with finding good food, and were sometimes labeled as snobs for doing so.  A foodie will know what they like to eat, know why they like to eat it, and you will be able to recognize what makes food good.

Being a foodie is considered to be a hobby in the United States.  They have different activities that they participate in and particular interests.  Some popular interests of foodies include:

• Baking and Pastry Arts
• Culinary Arts
• Culinary Management
• Entertainment Management
• Hospitality Management
• Restaurant Management
• Travel and Tourism Management
• Wine, Spirits and Beverages Management

Some foodies become devoted to a single item, such as hot sauce or ice cream.  As more people are becoming interested in food and becoming more health consciousness, farmer’s markets and specialty grocery stores are becoming more and more popular.

Many magazines, websites and blogs are devoted to foodies, like Gourmet Magazine, Project Foodie, and foodie NYC.  Food interest increased the popularity of the Food Network and cooking related shows.  Everyone knows who Rachel Ray and Paula Dean are, and they got their start from televised cooking shows.  Reality television has also ventured into the foodie interest with Top Chef and Iron Chef.

Culinary students are considered foodies.  They want to educate themselves on the proper ways to prepare foods and the correct ways to eat and share them.  Culinary students will become experts in a particular type of cooking or a particular type of food.