If you have a closet full of cookbooks, and spend half of the day at farmer’s markets deciding which produce looks best for dinner, you might also be one of the 56 percent of Americans that fancy themselves a “foodie.”
But what exactly makes a foodie?
A new survey of 2,000 Americans, conducted by the Consorzio del Prosciutto, sought to gather an understanding of people’s appreciation of food.
Of those who self-described as a “foodie,” enjoy trying new foods (56 percent), learning about the origins and history of food (47 percent), and being able to cook a quality meal (42 percent) were what made people identify as “foodie” most often. Other “foodie” qualifiers included:
- Having an awareness of what foods are in season (32 percent)
- Knowing how to pair cured meats with cheeses, wine and beer (30 percent)
- Always have a restaurant you should try (24 percent)
- Eating healthy (19 percent)
- Being able to pronounce difficult food names (19 percent)
- Having traveled to a country to try their food (17 percent)
The survey also found that people think age 31 is the magic age when they had their “taste awakening” — the age at which they feel their palate fully matured.
While most Americans (74 percent) think they have a sophisticated palate, interestingly, only 14 percent of people aged 55 or older surveyed feeling they felt their palate was advanced enough to fall into this category. This age group was also least likely to consider themselves a foodie.
Compared that to the 36 percent of respondents aged 18-24 who surveyed thinking they had a sophisticated palate.
And what makes people head to the kitchen to cook up a delicious meal? Our biggest influence is seeing our parents cook, with 41 percent saying their inspiration came from watching their parents, and 29 percent saying their desire to cook comes from wanting to recreate old family recipes.
(h/t NY Post)
Also see, How to build a charcuterie board like a pro.
For ingredients and cooking supplies, everybodyshops.com.
