Gourmet

[Michael in FtW]

Once upon a time in a land far away (back in maybe 1960) the word "Gourmet" on something ment something ... probably more expensive ingredients (perhaps shallots instead of dried yellow onion flakes), prepared with a little more care, "should" taste a little better than the average Heinz bottled stuff sitting beside it on the shelf for 50-cents less ...

Today, when I see "Gourmet" on a label I just dismiss it as an overused term for marketing "hype". Really, when you pick up a package of "Gourmet Beef Jerky" and a pack of "regular beef jerky" that doesn't claim to be "gourmet" ... and they have the same ingredient listed .... does "Gourmet" really mean anything anymore?

 

[Lugaru]

For me Gourmet on a label of something that costs 75c is the same as reading champaign on the label of something domestically produced.

It means run away.

 

[norgeskog]

Michael in FtW, wanna gag, go down the pet food aisle and see how may gourmet pet food items there are. I agree, the word is grossly over cooked

 

[Andy M.]

Gourmet has just become another sales gimmick.

Society today tends to overuse words that have become popular just to grab your attention and your money. I chuckle when I see "Contains no fat or cholesterol" on a jar of apricot preserves! How about a low carb claim on a pound of bacon!?!?

As long as "Gourmet!" sells, It will be used.

Now I think I'll go get a low sodium, low carb, fat free, cholesterol free glass of water.

 

[Lifter]

Must wryly agree with MiFW on the "gourmet" thing...

I suppose that you might make a point of trying out the one that states it is made for "gourmands", or to their tastes, as doubtless the copywriters haven't yet picked up on that word!

Anyways, another small point of "advice", from someone who has done a great deal of "town to town" commercial travel..."Never eat at a restaurant called "Mom's", or "Eats" "...

The single exception, in many years, is "Mom's" Restaurant in New Orleans,...walking distance from the Sheraton, old chrome mushroom stools, 40's/50's decor, signed photo's from Patton, Bogart, etc., massive deep fryers, zinc trimmed "kitchen style" tables of the 50's...

On the other hand, fresh baguettes, shrimp, or oyster, or beef "hoagies, to die for reasonably priced...open late at night, and back "up" for the morning, with "biscuits" and "gravy", the "gravy" being made from the detrious if what's "fished out" of the deep fryers from the day before...

Quite a "revelation" for a prairie raised Canuck from Saskatoon! Thankfully, for my cardiac health, I only rarely get to go there...

Lifter

 

[norgeskog]

another dumb one is gourmet WATER???

 

[mudbug]

All I can think of when reading this thread is another thankfully dead fad.

Oat bran.

 

[leigh]

another dumb one is gourmet WATER???

I hear you . . . on the other hand, considering the taste of what comes out of the water faucets in this town, I can cut the "gourmet" boys a little slack . . . maybe quite a lot of slack, in fact.

Best water I've ever drunk was from the well at my folks' place in rural Arkansas. The stuff was delicious. Took me a month to re-adjust every time I went there.

 

[chesterchippy]

My box of Morton's Kosher Salt says on it "Great for gourmet cooking." It sure is a sales gimmick.

 

[Claire]

I'm a word junkie as well as a food addict. Gourmet: A connoisseur of fine food and drink. According to the dictionary (American Heritage), it is often used as an adjective, but really should be a noun. So they're all wrong!!! But yes, I think that the word is used to connotate anything Gramma didn't cook, and if you aren't white-bread American, then what Gramma made is probably Gourmet now!!! It's just a sales pitch.

 

[mish]

There's a product that's been on the market awhile called Gour-Mayo. Must admit, it's catchy. Then I stop & think, hey, when did mayonnaise become a gourmet treat? Some of the flavors do sound enticing...wasabi, horseradish, etc. Anyone tried Gour-mayo? Maybe there should be a disclaimer?

 

[norgeskog]

another dumb one is gourmet WATER???

I hear you . . . on the other hand, considering the taste of what comes out of the water faucets in this town, I can cut the "gourmet" boys a little slack . . . maybe quite a lot of slack, in fact.

Best water I've ever drunk was from the well at my folks' place in rural Arkansas. The stuff was delicious. Took me a month to re-adjust every time I went there.

I had a Pür system installed on my faucet in the kitchen. It is my understanding thet 90% of the bottled water is nothing but purified. There is one that comes from France, Avian, that is true well water, or used to be.

 

[bknox]

I usually dismiss the 'gourmet' on a label as marketing fluff. Although our dry rubs use expensive, top quality herbs and spices, we made a conscience decision not to use gourmet on our label. We thought it would distract the buyer from straight forward information and over all design. We use the term gourmet in out marketing copy because our rubs really are a high quality product.

It is sad that language can be used so loosely. It is confusing to the consumer and discredits truly gourmet products by being associated with crappy products that use gourmet on their label.

 

[kitchenelf]

I once had a salsa that was called Texas Meets Tuscany - unfortunately I tried it at the booth where they invented it and were selling it - it was a mix of pesto and salsa - it was a knee-jerk reaction but I spit it out into a napkin. I just sheepishly looked at them and said "someone needs to tell you that this stuff is really bad and I guess it will be me".

The point of the story was it was "gourmet"

 

[SpiceUmUp]

I remember someone telling me that a gourmand is a pig with good taste. So I have always considered myself a gourmand! Most people have no idea what the word “gourmet” means.



Gourmet means: "A connoisseur of fine food and drink." Thus, the food itself can not be Gourmet.



I suppose they mean it should be enjoyed by a gourmet. Yet another word corrupted by the advertising types.



Most people think that gourmet means the food itself is high quality. Sigh, sad that we must now add English to the list of dead languages



As for pet food, my dogs have a simple philosophy: if it is dead and meat, eat it.

 

[GB]

Definition: [goor-MAY] 1. One of discriminating palate; a connoisseur of fine food and drink. 2. Gourmet food is that which is of the highest quality, perfectly prepared and artfully presented. 3. A gourmet restaurant is one that serves well-prepared, high-quality food.

 

[Sandyj]

Love Words 2, my 2 cents.

gourmand \goor-MAHND; GOOR-mahnd; GOOR-mund\, noun:
1. One who eats to excess.
2. A lover of good food.

I always thought gourmand meant glutton. Recently, I've seen it as part of a restaurant name, which made me smile, thinking they got it wrong - obviously they were referring to the second meaning of the word. Learn something new....

Gourmet foods purchased from the supermarket? Almost always disappointing. Actually, same for a lot of restaurants. I like our own home cooked food - plus, I know it's clean and made with love and care.
-Sandy