Most Foodies Aren't Snobs

I feel I need to point that out, because I've become a foodie over the last couple of years, and although I may sound "elite" when I speak to others about food, I'm really not a snob, and I don't think most other people are, either. And by snob, I mean be so picky about certain foods that we turn our nose up at things.

In fact, I'm the exact opposite. Whether it's my ever expanding, "advanced" palate, or the fact that I'm just older now, I love a lot more foods than I used to. I used to turn up my nose at avocado if it wasn't guacamole. I used to hate coconut and pineapple. Tea used to be untouchable (that one I just discovered a couple days ago. My new favorite beverage is green tea with splenda and non-fat milk flakes.) And I believe that because I've been giving all these "weird" new food combinations that are usually found in "foodie food" (think Iron Chef America) a try, I've been liking a lot more stuff in general. I just ate an Asian Citrus salad for the first time today, and you know what, it was pretty good. I would have never thought that I could eat pineapple and red onions in a salad but I enjoyed it. Being a foodie opens your mind to the possibilities - it doesn't make you close-minded like a lot of people think.

I'm not an elitist. I will still eat at McDonalds. I love McDonalds. In fact, I've learned that I can have homemade burgers as long as the only things on them are ketchup, mustard, chopped onions, pickles, and cheese (best thing is american "cheese" or something else suitably non-greasy.) But I also avoid processed foods when at all possible. And I don't necessarily mean cheez-its and potato chips, but things like frozen meals. Being a foodie has made me turn up my nose at those things, but only because I've also become aware of how bad they are for you.

Yeah, I'll be a little snobbish about "well, if you would make it instead of buy it, it would taste better", but that's the Good Eats child in me. Being a foodie is about exploring combinations of flavors that one may have never thought of before. Regular food may end up tasting bland in comparison, but you should never let it go to your head. I wouldn't turn down a Shari's if I was hungry and I won't say it tastes disgusting because I'm used to "high-end cuisine". Shari's is what it is. I will say that my palate has become fine-tuned to flavors now that I never would have imagined. I can finally understand ICA judges when they say things like "the spice overwhelms the subtle flavor of the fish".

Being a foodie has opened up a whole new world for me. You should try it some time. :)

See, doesn't that look delicious?!