What's your definition of a "foodie"?

According to this (had to look it up since I didn’t know what it meant in the first place) no, I am not. Food is food :P

To me it is one who appreciates food and seeks out different styles either to make in their kitchen or in restaurants. I spent the last many days in Texas and searched for every bar-b-que restaurant I could find to try and see the differences. There were plenty and I am going to try to replicate some!

Side note: one restaurant had a side dish that was made of cabbage, peppers (all sorts of them), onions, beets and who knows what all. It was out of this world. I think this is what foodies like….searching out new things.

I’d agree with the first definition from the Urban Dictionary link in shrubbery’s post.

Yes. Unfortunately for me it’s a delicate balance between gluttonie and foodie, though.

Ive been accused of being a foodie by several waitresses. My friends and I like
to seek out great restaurants, with fresh, creative choices; we order appetizers, soups, salads, and entrees, which we all share and enjoy together. However, I also eat cereal and El Pollo Loco. My food doesn’t have to be spectacular at all times, but I do enjoy being a “social foodie”. (See, we can all make up words).

My career in the world of upscale food has allowed me to study the foodie phenomenon at close range. What sets a foodie apart from someone who just appreciates good food is their intellectualization of food.

For foodies, knowledge about food has tremendous importance, and not just for its value in finding and preparing ingredients; the knowledge itself becomes a point of pride. When s/he tastes a food, everything s/he knows about it is summoned up, and the sensory experience is heavily colored by that knowledge. The mystique that surrounds certain foods works to positively reinforce what the tastebuds are saying, whereas foods of lesser reputation are likely to be greeted a priori with disdain. For foodies, the world of food is extremely heirarchical.

There’s also a lust for new food experiences, a restless search for ever stronger or more refined sensation, the ever-elusive “ultimate” this or that.

Thoroughly enjoying food, and being able to discern its subteties, doesn’t make one a foodie. I don’t consider myself a foodie, because I tend to set aside my intellect when it comes to eating and just focus on the experience. I’m totally turned off by pretentiousness in food. I don’t go out looking for new sensations; old favorites are still plenty good.

I realize that this is a highly subjective take on the term, but that seemed to be what the asker was looking for.

A foodie is someone who is passionate about food quality and open to learning about new things. Sign me up!

A foodie is an artist whose art graces a different (non-canvas) palate. A foodie reads a cookbook like a best selling thriller. A foodie sees a restaurant as a museum where he/she can experience different viewpoints and worlds and leave feeling richer and smarter for the experience. A foodie sees quality produce as currency.

Me.

Never heard of a “foodie” before, so I guess I’m not one.
I like sampling different foods and get the occasional burst of kitchen inspiration, but it’s not a priority, it’s a necessity->luxury

You tell me! I was in my farmer’s market yesterday (I go to two markets a week in the summer). I’m running around, looking for cherokee purple tomatoes, and some lettuce to go with it. Unfortunately, this is the day when the schlummy (that’s a technical term) baker comes. He doesn’t do sourdough and peasant bread with nice crunchy crusts. I need that for a decent blt.

The corn guy is there, although this year, he tells me, due to excess moisture, there will be none of the supersweet, super corny-flavored corn at the end of August. But he’s got a very nice bicolor now. MMM. Thought I shouldn’t (I was raised to think that anything longer than five minutes from field to pot was too much), I’ve got it in the fridge. Last week it was good for four days.

So, I’m trying to get away (I know most of the vendors, and you have to chat with all of them, right?), and at the last stand they’ve got great blueberries and great beans. I joke, “I’m gonna make a blueberry bean pie.” The lady next to me perks up. “Really?” “No,” I say, “I’m just kidding.” But I start to thinking. “But what would it be like?” Soon we’re discussing piecrust. It turns out she’s allergic to wheat, so she uses a combination of rice flour and flax and something else. Butter is her choice for shortening.

Oh, I love talking food with people. I love eating really good-tasting food. Though, unfortunately, I can do better than a lot of the restaurants I go to. (Toot, toot!)

But foodie?

Hmmmm. What do you think?

I enjoy life through my stomach. So does that make me one?

I love to cook. I find a peace and happy satisfaction when I am doing anything that has to do with food: the taste, color, texture, nutrition, ....the ways the taste and appearance changes depending on what you do with it

I love to shop for food and read about it. I love great equipment for the kitchen. I love to eat, but I find more satisfaction in serving others and enjoying their pleasure from a fantastic dish I prepared. I don’t cook for a living, but friends and co workers occasionally pay me to prepare something special for them…mostly desserts.

I, my friend, consider myself a FOODIE…;)