The Ingredients of a Foodie

In the recent years, appreciation for food has certainly been on the uprising. It has become so much a part of our culture that our daily lives are a testimony to this fact. As humans, we obviously all have the drive to eat; we are literally addicted to food. However, some people have taken their love of food to the extreme. Some have become foodies. Simply put, a foodie is someone who is passionate about food. They have taken their dining experience to a whole new level, whether it is through home cooking, or dining at a fancy restaurant. A foodie knows what great food is, and they will do whatever it takes to consume a worthy meal. So what about our fellow Americans who cannot afford a gourmet meal, or work all day and have little time to prepare a good meal? Can these people be called foodies? Certainly. If you have a love of food and you pursue it, then in a sense you are a foodie. Social classes are not discriminatory towards being a foodie; it is not solely for the upper class, but also for the middle and working class.

So if anybody is able to be a foodie, what ingredients are required to be considered one? In order to comprehend this we must first determine where to locate foodies, and the best way to do that is to follow your nose! Wherever the smell of fabulous food permeates the air, foodies are sure to be found. If we think about it, this smell can really only originate from two places: the kitchen, or the restaurant. The former requires time, and the latter requires money. These two basic socioeconomic resources are a foodie’s greatest benefactors, for their availability determines the quality and quantity of food readily available for consumption. Aside from time and money, an appreciation of food is required of all foodies. They absolutely must be able to distinguish an exceptional delicacy from detestable garbage, and this is not a skill that one is born with. A person eating caviar for the first time may find it appalling, but only a trained palate can truly appreciate this exotic indulgence. Only through experimentation with different foods, and experiencing first hand what they all have to offer can one attain this rare feat. Anyone who is passionate about food can be considered a foodie, but the intensity of their passion is directly proportionate to the amount of time and money they have available. In addition to this an individual's basic appreciation for food must be taken into account. The higher these three components, the stronger any given foodie will be.

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An equation for the foodie way of life

Being a foodie is comparable to a hobby; anyone can have one, but it takes time and devotion for your proficiency to develop. One of the most important aspects of being a foodie is spare time. It takes time to dine out or prepare meals, and time is something that your average working class American does not have in abundance. Because of this, if a potential foodie’s daily life is busy, their development as a foodie could be stifled just as he or she was beginning to discover their love of food. On the other hand, someone with lots of spare time has plenty of opportunity to use it on dining out at fancy restaurants. Also they could potentially be able to use it for home cooking, which can be a timely process. Without extra time, foodies will be hard pressed finding time to indulge themselves. There will be little time to eat out, and they will be hard pressed to find themselves a good meal. Odds are that they will end up ingesting a quick snack as opposed to having a formal meal. However, for those short on time, there still is the possibility of becoming a foodie. It will be much more difficult, but it is still possible for the non-faint of heart. For example, Rachel Ray’s cooking show, “Thirty Minute Meals,” explains how to cook a hearty meal in less than thirty minutes. The show is targeted towards working class mothers who do not have very much time, but still want to be able to feed their families a quality meal. This show provides an outlet for struggling foodies to even the playing field, and helps to prove that just because you are short on time does not mean that you cannot be a foodie. While time is an important aspect of being a foodie, it is only one of the three main requirements. Just as becoming a foodie requires time, it also takes money to fuel its growth.

On the two extreme scales of demographics, you have the prosperous and the poor. Someone who is prosperous, and has an abundance of money would in theory be more acclimated to become a foodie. However, on the other end of the spectrum, if someone is living paycheck to paycheck, then how could they possibly have the money to become a proper foodie? The prosperous have nearly unlimited opportunity to cultivate their inner foodie self. They can afford luxurious experiences such as five star restaurants or partake in cooking lessons. If they felt so inclined, they could even hire their own personal chef. Their opportunities are limited only by how far they are willing to devote themselves to the foodie cause. However, the poor do not have the funds to live as the rich. They will be unable to experience gourmet foods in a dining out experience because they cannot afford them. However, what the poor could do is cultivate a garden. With practice, gardens are a cheap and fun way to produce food. However, they do take time and effort, but these are things that any foodie already possesses. Poor people can grow all their own fruits and vegetables in a garden for little cost. They could then cook these into a meal. Being a foodie is about the love of food, and the old saying “Money cannot buy you love,” could not ring any truer. However, like most things in life there are exceptions, and just because someone is rich does not mean that they will automatically become a foodie. After all, money is only one dimension of being a foodie. Conversely, just because an individual is poor does not mean that they will be repulsed by the idea of becoming a foodie. However, not everyone wants to cultivate their own garden, and the expenses of food could just as well disgust them.

Perhaps the most important ingredient of a being foodie is an appreciation of food. Unlike having money or time, an appreciation of food is not optional to be considered a foodie. Appreciating food is what being a foodie is all about, and being able to discern good food from bad food is a necessity. Not surprisingly, foodies have standards, and there are certain foods that they would not dare to scarf down. When they understand what good food is, they can appreciate and praise not only the food itself, but also its maker. On the other hand, bad food is something that they naturally try to do without. Consuming good food is what every foodie strives for whether it is through their dining experience, or through their own cooking. At any rate, the ability to judge good from bad is a skill that every foodie must fight to obtain. When we were raised as children, we required our parent’s help to appreciate food. Not only did they teach us how to eat, but more importantly they taught us what to eat. No three-year-old wants to eat broccoli or peas, but it is necessary for us to grow strong. Our parents shaped our tastes, and as we mature we begin to shape our own. The appreciation of a meal requires training, effort, and time to mature. In addition to knowing what is good, a foodie must also have a knowledge base of herbs and spices. A good foodie will be able to correctly identify spices and seasonings solely by taste. They can discern even the slightest flavor and appreciate how it compliments the meal as a whole.

In conclusion, being a foodie is a worthy cause that anyone can undertake. Food is an important aspect of our lives and our culture, and becoming more accustomed to such a vital part of our life is worth some effort. It does not matter if you lack time and money; the only common ingredient in foodies is that they all love food. They have learned to appreciate the work that goes into preparing gourmet meals, and because of this they have fallen in love with food. No matter what one’s path is in life, you can still be a foodie. It does not matter whether you are rich, poor, busy, or bored; the only requirement is that you truly appreciate food.