People who are actually foodies dont introduce themselves as such. The fundamental fact is that a serious appreciation of food is more than mere epicurean pleasure-seeking. No one qualifies as a foodie just because they eat out a lot or watch Food Network. TV doesnt teach you much about cooking or eating, and eating out a lot doesnt mean that you have ever been pushed outside of your comfort zone. Just eating the strange and obscure doesnt make one more connoisseur than show-off. If I had my way, wed ditch the word. Its like hipster. It doesnt mean anything anymore. Instead, we should focus on whether we, as individuals, are really thinking about what we eat and drink. True connoisseurs rarely insist on the supremacy of their expertise. This even goes for serious chefs and food writers, who rarely understand the sometimes byzantine regulations that food and beverage producers must deal with at the local, state and federal level just to sell them an organic, free-range chicken. The more that anyone learns about food and our food system, the more that they realize that they have to learn. Unless you have a doctorate in public health and are the chef-owner of a Michelin-star restaurant located on a sustainable mixed-cultivation farm near the ocean with an on-farm butcher, vineyard, brewery, creamery, pickling cellar and game preserve, then you probably have plenty left to learn. I hope that you will all join me in thinking more broadly about food, our food systems and our food culture.
Posted on: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 17:21:40 +0000
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