Food lovers go to new restaurants, avoid big chain establishments and are eager to give their opinions and recommendations. Food lovers know something about the chefs, the cooking styles, or the methods of these restaurants. They also know the quality and origin of the food they consume. Food lovers are interested in fashion, education and culinary tourism.
While there are different opinions about what a foodie is, popular nomenclature suggests that it is someone who considers themselves informed about the restaurants and dishes of a particular area. This became clear to me when I was sitting with a friend at dinner who vehemently rejected the foodie label because she hates it when people take pictures of her food. In reality, if you can wait in a three-hour line to buy a donut ice cream sandwich, you're probably a food enthusiast even if you don't post a photo of the sandwich on Instagram. I was recently involved in an informal conversation at a social function and referred to myself as a “food enthusiast”.
Many publications have food columns aimed at food lovers, and many of the websites that bear the name of foodie have become popular among food lovers. The principles that define food lovers and food lovers are that food lovers delve into the whys, flavors and combinations of foods, always looking for defining moments, the creation and uniqueness of combinations. Food lovers don't just eat a meal, but they feast on it and consider every facet of the dish during the process: the ingredients used, how and where they are obtained, the preparation (and the skills related to it), the taste, texture, smell and presentation. A foodie is someone who delights in everything related to food and seeks a high-quality experience and taste.
Although not an expert in the field as a chef, a foodie delights in his novelty, almost like a child at Christmas. Ferdman says that people who associate themselves with being food lovers are in fact distancing themselves from the group they want to associate with. Food lovers have a significant presence on social media; food lovers have created their own YouTube channels where they show what they cook and where they eat around the world. A foodie is a person who has an ardent or refined interest in food, and who eats food not only out of hunger but also as a hobby.
A food enthusiast must be willing to try new foods, even if they use ingredients or cooking methods that may be disgusting to them. Typical foodie interests and activities include the food industry, wineries and wine tasting, breweries and beer tasting, food science, tracking restaurant openings and closures, and sometimes reopenings, food distribution, food trends, health and nutrition, cooking classes, culinary tourism, and restaurant management. Choosing to eat at different restaurants is the main sign that you're a food enthusiast, followed by enjoying trying new dishes when you eat out and wanting to go to the grocery store weekly, rather than seeing it as a routine task. Food lovers know very well the food they eat, while someone who loves food may not know where the food comes from but enjoys the dining experience.
