like a ham and cheese omlette isn't gourmet. but an omlette with sun dried tomatoes, spinach, and goat cheese is gourmet. why? i know the definition of gourmet, but how are certain foods classified as gourmet or not? i've tried looking this up on the internet and can't find any references. |
It's my understanding that what makes a dish gourmet is the relative obscurity of its ingredients or the amount of time/skill/preparation needed to make it. Anyone can sling a ham and cheese omelet together because it's easy and lots of people have ham, cheese, and eggs sitting in their refridgerator. Goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes are more uncommon. Chocolate-chip cookies? Easy and common. White chocolate chip and dried blueberry cookies? Gourmet. |
Chili is common, but many many people will argue about it being gourmet. Maybe it's a difference in the descriptions. There's also the presentation. Baked potatoes and a tofu stir-fry are not gourmet, or even compatable according to some, but baked potatoes stuffed with a tofu stir fry can be devine. I think gourmet has been taking a step back and experimenting with organic/local ingredients. The lst few times I've looked at cooking magazines it's all about simplicity and tasting the freshness of the food. Then there's the name. Spaghetti and tomato sauce is not gourmet. Linguine and red wine marinara sauce with fresh basil is. They're esentially the same things. You could call the latter by the former name, but it's just not as impressive. |
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I think in french "gourmet" describes a person. a person who has a highly developed appreciation for fine food. it can be contrasted with the word "gourmand," which describes someone who eats a lot of food. |