Gourmet or Gourmand? One Knows Food, the Other Just Eats It
A gourmet is a person of refined taste in food. A gourmand simply eats a great deal, and mixing them up can cause offence.
A gourmet knows food: which ingredient, which season, which method. A *gourmand* is a different person entirely — someone who loves eating and does a lot of it. Calling a food expert a gourmand is a mild insult, so the distinction is worth keeping.
- A connoisseur of good food. *A gourmet would notice.*
- Of high quality (used as a modifier). *Gourmet coffee.*
- Gourmand — a hearty eater. *An unashamed gourmand.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | gourmet | A serious gourmet. |
| Adjective | gourmet | Gourmet food. |
| Related | gourmand | A cheerful gourmand. |
| Related | connoisseur | A wine connoisseur. |
| Related | epicure | An epicure's dinner. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The shop sells gourmet cheese at gourmet prices.As a modifier it often just means expensive.
- He is a gourmet, not a snob.The word can go either way.
- A gourmand eats well; a gourmet eats carefully.The standard contrast.
People who care about food
- Gourmet — refined judgement about food
- Gourmand — large appetite, less discrimination
- Epicure — refined taste, from the philosopher Epicurus
- Connoisseur — an expert in any field of taste
- Foodie — the modern, informal word for all of the above
From French *gourmet*, originally a wine merchant's assistant who tasted the stock, influenced by *gourmand*, a glutton. English took both words and kept the distinction the French drew.
Is gourmand an insult?
It can be. It once meant glutton and now often means a keen and generous eater, but the older sense has not disappeared.
Does *gourmet* mean anything on a label?
Legally, usually nothing. On packaging it is a marketing word, not a standard.