Foodie or Not Foodie?

Published on Thursday, September 13, 2007, by Tea / Edit Post

Sure you love good food, cooking, and restaurants, but how do you feel about being called the f-word? Is the term foodie really so bad?

Some think it is. In a post on her blog, Gluten-Free Girl, Shauna James Ahern takes issue with the moniker:

[T]here’s something about the word foodie that sounds like it should be said with a nasal accent, an upper-crust sound, chin raised, eyes partially closed. It sounds, to me, like ‘Oh yes, I’m one of those people who knows exactly where to buy the best olive oil. All the rest are so declasse.’

The word foodie sounds like snobbery to me.

More than one commenter agrees with Shauna. “The term ‘foodie’ makes my toes curl. The snobbish-ness it conveys, the stuffy, overbearing nature of it… Uuurgh,” writes one reader. Another claims, “The word foodie to me suggests somebody who would turn up their nose at food they are offered because it’s not gourmet enough for them,” and yet another says, ”’Foodie’ attempts to create some kind of mystery where, really, there isn’t one.”

There are a few who don’t mind it. One reader explains, “I have never thought of the word ‘foodie’ as snooty, static or any of the other negative things you mention. I think it’s actually a very goofy-sounding term, one that evokes laughter from many of my friends,” but that is clearly a minority opinion.

Whether you like being called a foodie or not, what are the better options? As Shauna explains, “I’m also not fond of gourmand, gourmet, gavonne, connoisseur, saveur, or person-in-the-know.” There’s got to be some better term out there. Is foodie really the best we can do?

It reminds me of my grandfather, who liked to say, “You can call me whatever you want to, just don’t call me late for dinner.” He was clearly a foodie long before his time.

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POST A COMMENT |8 Comments

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  • It's in tiny little letters, but it's there at the bottom of every page:

    http://www.chow.com/manifesto

  • I'm new on this site, and have been linked to this particular blog via Melissa at "Travelers Lunchbox". (I adore that blog!)
    This is what I wrote as a reply to her post on the subject:

    "stick hard and fast to the term foodie! I'm with you on that! This *is* a battle cry!

    my brother teases me when he terms me a "gourmet". "why are you getting into arguments about the definiton of...+READ

    I'm new on this site, and have been linked to this particular blog via Melissa at "Travelers Lunchbox". (I adore that blog!)
    This is what I wrote as a reply to her post on the subject:

    "stick hard and fast to the term foodie! I'm with you on that! This *is* a battle cry!

    my brother teases me when he terms me a "gourmet". "why are you getting into arguments about the definiton of vinnaigrette?, why bother with the percentage and origin of cocoa in your chocolate? what's so important about that? why dig into those tiny details? It doesn't really matter."

    my mother says "gourmet is redundant, I don't like playing with food, simple is best"... you see, that's exactly the reason the term "foodie" was created!
    because exactly as you say, food is so much more than just being "gourmet"... food is about people, it's about culture, it has a a close link to music as a kin art and what a sensory art-form food is!

    The Italians understand it so well, I admire them for that.
    You know, I have a feeling that this resistance people have against "foodies" or "gourmet" stems from a deep-seated feeling of guilt. Christianity deems gluttony a cardinal sin, Judaism also has some reference to that (not in the same words but similar meaning)... the message seems to be: don't insist on quality, settle always for the lowest common denominator, don't ask, don't inquire, don't aspire for more. This applies to food because from this basic realm, the broadening of one's mind and senses applies to other fields.

    But foodie is not "gourmet". Foodie is a people-oriented food lover. because food is about people, and that's that. Cocoa from ecuador also means the people who grow it, chocolate with chillies forms a direct link to an ancient, magnificent culture gone extinct. Food is culture, history, people.

    so yes, I AM A FOODIE! LOUD AND PROUD, PERIOD."-COLLAPSE

  • Exactly, Chuckles. It is so super dumb-sounding. That is probably what I shoulda said in the first place.

  • Well the first problem is it's a really dumb-sounding word. Since I dislike having dumb-sounding words applied to me, I try to avoid it.

    The second problem is that the "ie" suffix, which should really be "ee", is generally used to indicate the passive recipient of an action. "arrestee", "retiree", and made-up words like "hitee". So technically it's indicating someone is a passive recipient of...+READ

    Well the first problem is it's a really dumb-sounding word. Since I dislike having dumb-sounding words applied to me, I try to avoid it.

    The second problem is that the "ie" suffix, which should really be "ee", is generally used to indicate the passive recipient of an action. "arrestee", "retiree", and made-up words like "hitee". So technically it's indicating someone is a passive recipient of food. Personally, I prefer to take an active role.-COLLAPSE

  • I agree with the reader who thinks that "foodie" is a goofy, fun term. Honestly, more than anything, I find arguing over the semantics and connotation of the construct of human language to be utterly tedious, profoundly boring, and just wasting time that could be better spent enjoying great grub.

  • I don't see anything wrong with the term. I know a number of self-describing foodies, and the only thing they have in common is an interest in good food and drink. Viewing it as a pejorative sounds like a personal problem to me.

  • I raised my objection to the term many moons ago
    http://thegurglingcod.typepad.com/thegurglingcod/2005/08/i_never.html
    That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

  • I also hate the word foodie. But I don't think of "foodie" as connoting snobbishness as much as a sort of blind trendiness in food and drink. To me, a foodie likes what's popular or has buzz.

    In the beverage department, these are the folks who used to love merlot then moved onto zin, dumped that for pinot noir then started cheating with nero d'avola or whatever (on the white side, these are...+READ

    I also hate the word foodie. But I don't think of "foodie" as connoting snobbishness as much as a sort of blind trendiness in food and drink. To me, a foodie likes what's popular or has buzz.

    In the beverage department, these are the folks who used to love merlot then moved onto zin, dumped that for pinot noir then started cheating with nero d'avola or whatever (on the white side, these are the chardonnay/sauvignon blanc/viognier/rose/etc. people).

    I say this, of course, recognizing this trait and drinking pattern in myself :) But that is somewhat affected by what's available in bars and restaurants. And they are all driven by the next best thing ... or maybe just the next thing.

    Anyway, I still drink merlot, damn it. And I still don't want to be called a foodie. Blech.-COLLAPSE