I hate the term ‘foodie’ which is probably ironic since this is a food-obsessed blog. However, I think of foodies as people who subscribe to Bon Appetit, read restaurant reviews, and try hard to distance themselves from the average American. They act like they never step foot inside a fast food joint, eat frozen dinners while watching TV or scarf down canned soups and chef boyardee. (Sorry if my examples are way off or not your personal experience, but that’s my outsider perception of typical American eating habits!)
To me, there is something inherently pretentious and false about distancing yourself from your native food culture and/or background. I’m not saying that if you’re American you can only be ‘real’ if you eat junk food but at the same time, I think foodies try way too hard to be something they’re not.
Because I grew up eating good Chinese homecooking, I didn’t have to become a ‘foodie’ in order to better appreciate and enjoy food. In my circle, everyone loves food to varying degrees. Same goes for my Italian husband. When everyone is a ‘foodie’ then the term becomes irrelevant.
I don’t pretend to have an answer, nor do I mean to insult people who are honestly trying to improve their food habits. I just wish we could put that term to rest.
Do you have a different perception of ‘foodies’? Do you like the term or even refer to yourself as one? Do ‘foodies’ secretly munch on oreos when others aren’t watching?
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