To think it’s wanky to describe oneself as a foodie?

[RosieGuacamosie]

I mean I imagine 95% of the population like eating, and I imagine at least 85% like trying different foods.

What elevates a person to being a “foodie”?

Loves eating? Frozen food served less than twice per week? Sprinkle some FRESH basil on one’s pasta?

@Inextremis

There's more to being a foodie than just liking food and eating. It's not a posh thing at all, it's just another interest, like gardening, or photography. I don't know why you seem to find it annoying, OP?

It’s not that I find it annoying or offensive, I just don’t really understand why some people want to give themselves a superior title for conducting an essential (albeit sometimes slightly nicer) activity.

Perhaps I have a complex as I’ve only ever experienced self proclaimed “foodies” speak about how they spent hours foraging in Sainsbury’s for the perfect pancetta and then drizzling olive oil over their hand torn basil topping and then not getting to eat any of the delicious pancetta pizza because we had to have a half hour photo shoot first

Probably if you haven’t read The Official Foodie Handbook you should think twice about calling yourself a foodie. If you have read it you would, I think, think twice about calling yourself a foodie.

app.ckbk.com/book/0877957274/the-official-foodie-handbook

When I was searching for a link I saw that Pim Techamuanvivit wrote a modern version for the more turn of the century foodie - has anyone read that?

I’d call myself a foodie. I subscribe to a few cooking magazines, always buying the latest cook books and have a larder full of stupid ingredients that I bought for a recipe and never used again.

I’ve been on courses, holidays planned around a good restaurant etc.

It’s really just a hobby I think - like gold or cycling.

I imagine at least 85% like trying different foods

This is almost certainly not true. The majority of the population is pretty boring when it comes to food.

But yes, foodie is a word I don’t really care for.

In normal times I often go to Michelin star restaurants, yet can often be found in Toby carvery if I’m hungover 🤷🏻‍♀️. Both are good in different ways.

that's debatable

I don't consider myself a foodie btw, I like good food and I don't really like junk or cheap ready meals, but I am not "passionate" or that interested about food.

I don't agree that the term foodie is anything wanky. Calling yourself a foodie.. I guess depends on the context and how it's said.

@2021namechanges

I’d call myself a foodie. I subscribe to a few cooking magazines, always buying the latest cook books and have a larder full of stupid ingredients that I bought for a recipe and never used again.

I’ve been on courses, holidays planned around a good restaurant etc.

It’s really just a hobby I think - like gold or cycling.

Maybe I’m being really naive but I don’t know anyone who thinks “oh yeah let’s go on holiday there and who cares about the food”

I just don’t really understand why some people want to give themselves a superior title for conducting an essential (albeit sometimes slightly nicer) activity.

It's you who think it's superior (but why are you feeling inferior?)

It's certainly not essential to make it a hobby or a passion. I feed my kids well, don't like crap food, enjoy very nice restaurants but am not a foodie at all. There's no judgement there

It's ok to have interests and to become more skilled or knowledgeable about them than the average person. We all have one.

It’s not that I find it annoying or offensive, I just don’t really understand why some people want to give themselves a superior title for conducting an essential (albeit sometimes slightly nicer) activity.

I do t think it is a superior title though. You could also say the same about any excerise - doing some form is what keeps us from dying - but being a “rambler” is different from someone who just walks to work for example.

@DebbieGetsTheJobDone

In normal times I often go to Michelin star restaurants, yet can often be found in Toby carvery if I’m hungover 🤷🏻‍♀️. Both are good in different ways.

that's debatable

I don't consider myself a foodie btw, I like good food and I don't really like junk or cheap ready meals, but I am not "passionate" or that interested about food.

I don't agree that the term foodie is anything wanky. Calling yourself a foodie.. I guess depends on the context and how it's said.

Depends on the level of hangover Sometimes I need to mainline gravy and a pint of cider

That’s interesting though. I kind of equated liking good food with having an interest in it if they makes sense.

Maybe I’m being really naive but I don’t know anyone who thinks “oh yeah let’s go on holiday there and who cares about the food”

Just look at the reviews on trip advisor of some "buffet place", look at the photos and you'll see that MANY many people really don't care about the food 😂

Or people are like me, chose a holiday for many reasons, and decent food is a factor but not the main focus.

People go on wine tours as a holiday, it's the same with food.

To clarify a PP, I don’t feel inferior. Without sounding like a dickhead I (pre lockdown) ate at some pretty top restaurants on a reasonably regular basis.

Maybe I’m being really naive but I don’t know anyone who thinks “oh yeah let’s go on holiday there and who cares about the food”

Of course, but theres a difference between ‘ooh can’t wait to have pasta when we are in Italy, I’m going to look up some nice restaurants’ and actively choosing a holiday destination and booking everything around a particular restaurant or dish you want to try/eat more of.

I’ve done the former but not the latter.

@DebbieGetsTheJobDone

Maybe I’m being really naive but I don’t know anyone who thinks “oh yeah let’s go on holiday there and who cares about the food”

Just look at the reviews on trip advisor of some "buffet place", look at the photos and you'll see that MANY many people really don't care about the food 😂

Or people are like me, chose a holiday for many reasons, and decent food is a factor but not the main focus.

People go on wine tours as a holiday, it's the same with food.

Perhaps you are right!

So wanky. I don’t get why rare/blue meat is supposed to be superior to well done - I’m not refined because I don’t enjoy the taste of blood in my mouth? Wank off.

My husband says I'm obsessed with food. Food is a massive factor in choosing where we go on holiday for example and days out when we are there are planned out around where we want to eat. This ranges from michelin star to tiny cafes with no menu and mega cheap type places so it's not about being a snob. I am not a fan of McDonalds but not because I think I'm above it, I just find their burgers a bit dry, i like full fat juicey meat! I will happily get fish and chips or a baked potato from a van or whatever as well as fancy restaurants. I browse cooking blogs, cook books and recipe sites in my spare time, for inspiration rather than to look up specific recipes. I menu plan weeks in advance sometimes as there are just so many things I want to eat. I go to specialist supermarkets and online specialists to pick up ingredients that are hard to find anywhere else. I go on cooking classes with a friend to learn different skills. On holiday I'll do cooking classes to learn about the local cuisine. At weekends I plan recipes that require days worth of prep for the final dish. I buy my clothes in the sales, have a shit car, and a cheap hobby but food is the one area where I really dont mind spending as eating is so important to me. If I'm going out to eat somewhere I'll spend ages looking at the menu in advance working out what I want to eat. The only reason I'm on some social media is to follow some local food markets and stalls to see where they are going to be and when and if they are selling stuff online and we will often travel quite far to see them. I could talk about food all day and I spend a lot of the day thinking about it.

I don't describe myself as a foodie but I can understand why people do. I am not sure what word youd find acceptable but I do think there is a difference between the time and effort I put into food related things and the enjoyment I get out of it, and someone who 'enjoys cooking and loves eating out' for example.

"I don’t get why rare/blue meat is supposed to be superior to well done - I’m not refined because I don’t enjoy the taste of blood in my mouth? Wank off."

I agree with this. To me it tastes better rare, but its personal taste and if people want it well done then it should be done no question. I have heard of chefs refuse to cook well done because it's a 'waste of a good steak' but if the customer wants that I think it's really arrogant to think they know better

Nah, I'm no foodie but I get what other people mean when they call themselves that. I don't find it particularly wanky.

I mean, I like food as much as the next person, and I am fat because I eat too much of it, but I'm not a connoisseur, I can't eat something and identify all of the flavours in it, I'm a pretty average cook and I generally can't tell the difference between really good quality ingredients and pretty average ones. Some people, like my BIL, can.

They're entitled to call themselves foodies in my view. I'm quite happy not being one because I am more easily pleased!

I love trying different food and get a lot of pleasure from cooking. My favourite is probably Spanish cuisine but like most things.
I do think saying you're a foodie is incredibly wanky though. I think there is an element of superiority in it. Some people barely have enough to eat, and others don't have the skills to try cooking different things. Banging on about being a foodie is quite privileged.

YANBU.
It's fine OP.
Wank-label away.
Personally, I'd reserve the label for something which actually obstructs others in life, such as selfish car parking or malicious acts of petty revenge, or just the alarming fact of Farage.

But you are completely free to use it for people who show a creative and informed interest in what we ingest.

I have always thought anyone who self-identifies as a ‘foodie’ is an absolute arsehole.

Food is my main hobby but describing myself as a foodie would be very cringe

Though I would disagree that 85% of people like trying new food. Lots of people are quite picky or have firm preferences in my experience

Liking food and trying new cuisines is fine, that's not wanky. Describing it as a hobby is, as is assuming that makes you the arbiter of what food is 'good' or worthy.

I don't understand mumsnetters and calling everything posh or classist or pretentious. This is wanky, surely?

Also wanky to see everything as wanky because you don't do/understand it.

There's more to being a foodie than just liking food or eating food or trying different food normally. I'm definitely not a foodie as I'm too picky with food to be one but I know a few 'foodies' and understand when someone says they are. I suppose it can mean different things to different people.

It's just a made up term like everything else to describe a certain type of person with a certain level or sort of interest and love for food than normal - the food can be 'healthy' or 'junk' or both. So there's no classism, pretence or being impressive about it.

I suppose a pretentious person will be pretentious in everything including talking bout food but being a foodie or calling yourself a foodie isn't automatically pretentious in itself.

Foodie in itself is a horrible word, as in most words ending in ie. So YABU for just that alone