Foodie or Fauxdie?

What makes a ‘foodie’?

Thanks to the MasterChef revolution, food faddism and the explosion of food media, everybody considers themselves a ‘foodie’ nowadays. Well, that’s what they claim anyway. What simmers beneath though is the question as to what grades a real gourmand?

Customs
Firstly, can you be a real foodie by forgoing particular customs? Take chopsticks, for example. Someone I know inhales the culinary world like oxygen. But when chowing down Chinese, Japanese or other Asian cuisine, they can’t be stuffed with the fiddly sticks. They’d rather get on with the main event, a.k.a. enjoying the meal. So does emotion over equipment downgrade your foodie status?

Religion
God over gastronomy is a sticky one. Can you be a food connoisseur if kosher, halal or the like is how you live? If the Book says no to bratwurst (AND prosciutto AND squid AND…) then that’s that. Although if you can’t try everything, how do you know about everything (as apparently all foodies should)? Let’s face it, in foodie world facon is just hamming it up. But surely pious ones have their satanic moments where the pork crackling practically calls their name. Kind of like Eve’s temptation of Adam’s apple. Wait, this is confusing.

Allergies
One word that gets real foodies worked up: allergies. Gluten intolerant, lactose intolerant, nut intolerant, all of these just make the food world more intolerant. Again, it’s not out of choice but does this unfortunate fate affect your gastro grade?

Spices
And then there’s the issue of spice, where not all things are nice. For some budding foodies many cuisines are wiped off their menus – Mexican, Indian, Thai, Sichuan Chinese because they simply start sweating like a sumo in a jumpsuit.

Fast Food
Lastly, if Finger Lickin’ Good, The Burgers are Better and I’m Lovin’ It are part of your vocabulary, does that warrant an instant right-off from foodieness? Yes, you’d take a three-hatted meal anyday but I mean who doesn’t love crunching into crispy fried chicken, devouring a Quarter Pounder or getting elbow deep into cheese pizza grease, especially after a particularly hard night out?

For sure even the foodiest of foodies dial Domino’s from time to time, right?
That’s if they’re not gluten intolerant.

By Jenna Chaitowitz

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/qidane/865470805/