Today’s world seems to be taken over with images, information, and entertainment all surrounding food. From food trucks, cooking shows, food blogs, and endless photos of your friends’ dinners posted on Facebook, it’s no wonder why people all around the world are beginning to think of themselves “Foodies.” A foodie is defined as a person who has a tremendous interest in and knowledge of all things food and drink. You might hear them often use words like gourmet, talk about their love of all things Bobby Flay, and tell of their plans to cook with truffle oil for dinner. But what truly defines a foodie in today’s food obsessed world?
Why am I a foodie?
I consider enjoying food a main hobby in my life. Whether cooking or eating, the tastes, traditions, and friendships that I have formed over a plate of food have always brought a smile to my face and those around me. There is something about the comfort of food and drink that the human spirit will always crave. The question is, are you a foodie too? Here’s three ways to know if you meet the criteria.
Talk the Talk
Being a foodie is all about the lingo. If you’re going to claim to be all knowing in the food world, you better pick up some new vocabulary to back it up. Here are a few terms to get you started:
- Gluten-Free: Many people now choose to exclude gluten, a protein complex that can be found in foods containing wheat, rye, and barley for a variety of reasons such as allergies, weight loss, or even as a treatment to Celiac Disease.
- Aioli: A basic aioli is a sauce made of olive oil and garlic, but in today’s food eat food world the addition of flavors to this basic sauce is infinite. Some of the most popular varieties include chipotle, cilantro, and roasted red pepper.
- Confit: This newly popular cooking method involves immersing your food in a liquid to bring out it’s maximum flavors. In the past, this method was reserved for classic dishes like Duck Confit, but has since been expanded to many other proteins and even vegetables.
Want to See my Burger?
Social Media is everybody’s new way to show the world how they too are a professional food photographer and critic. Whether it be on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, there is no news feed that is empty of photos from last night’s pizza run, date night at the steak house, or lunch at the sushi bar.
Fearless and Worldly
You can’t claim to be a foodie if you’re afraid to try new foods. International cuisine is all the rage in food culture today. From Vietnamese Pho to exotic new Indian spices, American’s are not just interested in meat and potatoes anymore. Expand your pallet and taste the world!
