BLOG POST 3

The term gourmet is defined as a professional taster or evaluator of the food that he or she eats. These type of people are usually the rich and famous who have the money and time to experience the best of the food industry. "Foodie" on the other hand refers to the group of ordinary folks who just have a passion for the food that they eat. For them, food is an enjoyment and pleasure. They find it interesting to eat different dishes and explore the culinary side of the world. It is not only the eating that is of interest to them, but the whole process from gathering the ingredients to the cooking procedure. They also love any shows or activities involved with cuisines.

The major difference between a foodie and a gourmet is that anyone can become a foodie if they choose to be. Being a gourmet, on the other hand, is much more difficult. In order to become a professional, one must have an extensive knowledge of food. Not only is it time consuming to learn about the numerous cuisine in the world, one must have the financial ability to support this activity. The need to tour around the world and taste the unique dishes in every country is not something a normal middle class person can afford. Furthermore, the experience of able to tell the difference between a good and bad food requires a lot of past experiences. This is no easy task and many gourmet are trained at a young age to be able to tell the difference between vegetables or food that they eat.

Foodies have been around ever since people started valuing food but it was only in 1981 that the term "foodie" was created. Paul Levy and Ann Barr were the first two people to use "foodie" in the title of their book "The Official Foodie Handbook". The hobbies of a foodie include a range of different activities such as wine tasting, food science and restaurant management.

An amusing hobby of the foodie is restaurant reviewing. This involves a person, usually one who is quite accomplished with food, to go to a restaurant and order a meal. Then he or she would observe the place and make remarks about the service, order menu, surroundings, music, and food quality. He or she would then give a rating to the restaurant ranging from one star to five stars. These remarks can give others an overall view of how the restaurant is and whether it is worth going to eat there. It is usually published in newspapers and magazines where the general public can also review the features of the restaurant. This is a good idea as there are many expensive restaurants that most people cannot afford but they can read about it on the review. It is also a source of entertainment for many other foodies who love reading about the food although they may not be able to actually taste it. Many others who can actually afford going to the restaurant can also read about the food there before they go to eat at the place.
The service offered by the restaurant is also very important as it will affect the dining experience greatly. As seen in the book "Garlic or Sapphires" by Ruth Reichl, the service of the restaurant varies greatly depending on who you are. If you are a rich and important person, then you will be able to receive the best treatment from the waiters and chefs. If you are only a commonplace person, then you will be pushed aside for the richer people. These kinds of treatment will warrant a lower star rating for the restaurant and the people can read about another's dining experience. It will allow them to know what kind of restaurant it is and whether it is suitable to eat there or not.

Foodies also include television shows such as "Hell's Kitchen" or "Iron Chef" where a group of chefs compete against each other. They have to cook the best dish in the allocated time and are then judged by a group of connoisseurs who will evaluate them. The chefs are selected from restaurants which are considered high quality and they are then put through a series of tests to find out which one of them is the best. They are then awarded with a certain amount of money or a better job position. These kind of television shows is not only limited to the "foodie" but is also liked by many others.

Foodies may also be people who actually study the food. People who study the food science and nutrition facts are also can also be considered foodies. They are more into the "science" side and may be studying the effects of the food and which kinds of diet are best for health.

The cultural influence also comes into play in the culinary world. Foodies usually have a cultural bias because they come from different backgrounds so this makes it hard to be fair. Some people may prefer one food over another because of their cultural background. For example an Indian foodie may like a spicy dish better than salty dish because the background from which came made him more accustomed to the spicy food. This is due to the culture of the person and the environment where he was brought up.

Therefore, if one observes the foodie and the gourmet, one will be able to notice the distinct differences and similarities. While it is true that both are the evaluators and lovers of food, the foodies have become increasingly popular and common. As the world is progressing, more and more people have become rich and able to afford what they want. With the help of the internet and the public press, the sharing of cooking recipes have become easier and more people are able to enjoy cooking and eating.

Cooking at home has become a thing that everyone can do and this has made the cooking shows on television more popular. Julia Child's "The French Chef" was very popular when it was released in 1963 because many people back then did not have much idea about learning to cook although they liked to eat the food. This series film provided them with the opportunity to try out making the food by themselves at home. Then they could enjoy the food without having to go to an restaurant and it is much cheaper that way. The French Chef also gives many additional information concerning the food that is being prepared which further increases its popularity as many watch this program to learn more knowledge about the culinary materials. It not only teach the watcher about how to cook the food but also the facts of food. In one episode of The French Chef, we find Julia Child telling us lots of details about the lobsters that she was about to cook. She also explains about how to buy the lobsters and which one are good quality. Therefore, we see that the foodie network has expanded to the television world and made great progress and was very successful. This just shows that although not everyone can cook like an expert chef, it does not mean that they don't like watching other people cooking and teaching.

The foodies are generally becoming more and more common as food changes in variety and type. More recipes are being invented and there are a larger collection of ingredients so it is now easier to become a foodie than ever before. As the society progresses, it will become gradually easier to become and the difference between a gourmet and foodie will not be so distinct. There will be many more people who are capable of appreciating the food in the world.