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Foodie vs Gourmet and A Question for You

[ 42 ] November 8, 2007 | Random Musings |

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I came across a foodie group in a social networking site today, where they talked about how the group is for Foodies and not for Gourmets.

I had always thought of foodie as a person and gourmet as the type of food. Isn’t Gourmand the word for people who love gourmet food? But apparently I was wrong, gourmet is also a person!

According to Wikipedia,

foodies differ from gourmets in that gourmets are epicures of refined taste who may or may not be professionals in the food industry, whereas foodies are amateurs who simply love food for consumption, study, preparation, and news. Gourmets simply want to eat the best food, whereas foodies want to learn everything about food, both the best and the ordinary, and about the science, industry, and personalities surrounding food. 

Some gourmets would not consider themselves foodies and many foodies would not consider themselves gourmets. Generally speaking, a foodie is a person who has a special interest in food, even foods at which a self-identified gourmet would turn up his nose.

Gourmets are people of refined taste and passion. But don’t you think the gourmets are missing something? I love gourmet food and street food equally, it just depends on the day and the mood. 

Wonder what these gourmets eat as a hangover cure? There is no gourmet food strong enough to suck up all those alcohol out of the blood stream after a night of heavy partying. Or maybe gourmets never get that drunk? Maybe fine wine wouldn’t cause any hangover!!

     OR   ?

I hope all my readers are foodies, not gourmets… and that you all have your favorites, but wouldn’t turn your nose up against any kind of food, just because that is not considered gourmet..

But if you had to choose one type of food for the rest your life… what then?

So, my question to you is -

If you get stuck on a deserted island, and you can pick only one specific meal for the rest of your life, what would you pick?

I know, it is a vague question, so here are some rules

  • Don’t pick a cuisine, pick specific items
  • Pick from 1 to 5 items , but it has to make a meal
  • Don’t ask me questions like where the ingredients are going to come from and who is going to cook for you on a deserted island. Let’s assume I am an eccentric Zillionaire, and my hobby is to kidnap people, stick them in a deserted island, give each one a personal chef who will only cook the same items every day.

My pick would be White rice, Spicy Kerala fish curry, Bittergourd stir fry with coconut slices and Yogurt. I don’t know how long I will survive, but I am sure it will be much much longer than if I had picked roasted quail stuffed with foie gras with a side of pomegranate-pinot reduction!

More like this..

Category: Random Musings

Comments (42)

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  1. musy says:

    Hey Sig, i am definitely a foodie and i just can’t tolerate snobbery :-D OMG, i have to control myself on this, but i can rant on and on…..as for my favorite food, i would really want to have anything prepared by my Mom :) . Its tough question yaar! But in the interest of long term survival, i’d want some rice, beans, greens and fruit plus dahi :-D .

    :) I know it is a tough question… but glad to see everyone playing along… :)

  2. Anita says:

    Rice (err, I think white :D ), haak, dahi, fish curry with kohlrabi and lotus root, rajma – on these I could live forever!

    Yeah,I too thought the word was ‘gourmand’ for people who appreciate good food… whatever… the language keeps evolving, faster when you live outside Britain!

    Ok, before I send you to the island, I need the recipe for the fish curry with kohlrabi and lotus root… or may be its in your blog? I will go hunt for it :)

  3. Mmm…really difficult to decide coz you wanna eat different things all the time…Still, would go with basmati rice, matar masala, arhar dal, aaloo posto, n something sweet…like a small slice of cake :idea:

    Hi Swati, welcome to my blog… :) Yeah, the point was to make it a difficult game, but glad to see everyone picked some form of comfort food

  4. nandita says:

    What gourmet and gourmand :sleepy:

    Proud to be a foodie – my list would go like this

    Potato roast curry
    Sambhar with any veggies
    White rice
    banana chips or appalam or my mom’s homemade vethal
    Yogurt

    ALl the food that will remind me of home- and now where’s my :( Martini): ??

    Oh I forgot to mention :( Martini): and :( Beer): will be flowing like mud ;)

  5. sra says:

    Sig, Sandeepa, :grin: I genuinely genuinely love salad. And I’m one of those types that will still be plump after a year on it! :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

    :D I love salad too… but eating it every day… :shock: But to each its own right? :) I will get my chef on it ;)

  6. Cynthia says:

    I’m a foodie all the way and I also enjoy gourmet food.

    My five items would be: white rice, dhal, curried fish, fried okras and coconut water. :drool:

    ooh coconut water, a great idea.. and it is free on my island ;)

  7. Shantanu says:

    Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do on my blog-surfing.

    Hmmm… At heart I guess I am still very Indian (especially if I have to choose a meal that will last a lifetime!). I choose naan, kababs, biryani, rabdi, and maybe some veggie raita. Since I am on an island, I guess all the hard work building shelters, etc., will take care of the calories. :razz:

    :) Aren’t we all… (Indian at heart that is… ) everyone picked some comfort food they’ve grown up with…

  8. spice lover says:

    Hmm…
    guess foodie is a Joey and gourmet is a Frasier or his brother… havnet heard of the word gourmand though.

    my 5 would def have to include coffee… if that counts.

    coffee
    chocolate cake (i dont want to die without my fav cofi n cake)
    kerala parotta
    veg kurma
    achappam (my fav snack. the only one that i cant stop eating)

  9. Archana says:

    Good one !
    The moment i land on a deserted island, i will place orders for the following !

    Rice-rose matta
    Koorkka mezhukkupuratti
    Red fish curry
    Pulissery
    Cheera thoran
    ( An uninterrupted everyday supply of Tiramisu will be much appreciated.

  10. Srivalli says:

    Sig not sure how I missed this post..ah.. :idea: now I remember we were out of town…well I guess its better late than never to think about our specific meal right! :drool:

    I am more a foodie…so my choices will be (since I can choose my chef, it naturally be my mother.. :grin: )

    Rava dosa and Idly with Sambar and coconut chutney for breakfast :mrgreen:

    White Rice with Podi, ghee and Dal with touchings of appalams to finish off with home made dahi top on Avvakkai for lunch :nerd:

    Paneer Butter masala with Butter Naans finished off with chocolate icrecream topped with chocolate sauce. :cool:

    After a heavy meal like this I won’t have space nor enery for desserts what latha or Cw asked for. That kind of desserts I might want during mid day.. :evil:

    Well you did say one meal but never said we can’t choose for different times of the day right…and I do hope you being the zillionaire would have flowing supply of chocolate Milkshake with Chocolate sauce, won’t ya?? :( Beer): ..hey I meant milkshake and not beer… :razz:

    Well, well, well… Look who is trying to find loopholes in the system… .:D And mid-day “desserts” sound awesome ;) … you are my kinda gal… :D

  11. Bijus says:

    i would go for rice, fish curry, van payar thoran, mathi varuthathu, and kizhangu mezhukkupuratty :)

  12. sparky says:

    gourmet — someone of refined taste

    foodie — derivative post-internet word dragging down culture, language and cuisine —

    sleep til your hungry, eat til your sleepy = get really monstrously obese like an enourmous hog —

    have fun in dream world kiddies

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