The most sophisticated gastronomic preparations are classified as gourmet.
Gourmet is a French word translated by the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) as gastronome , a person knowledgeable in gastronomy or fond of exquisite foods. The term is used as an adjective to describe those foods that are refined in preparation.
Gourmet, therefore, is associated with the most excellent of gastronomy . The quality of the ingredients and the way of preparation is what determines whether a dish is considered gourmet or not.
What are gourmet foods
Gourmet foods are those preparations that have been prepared with exquisitely selected ingredients, with exhaustive care of hygiene and organoleptic properties ; They have also been made by people who, after many years of experience and a clear passion for haute cuisine, are prepared to offer a product that can be consumed by someone who truly appreciates its quality and delicacy.
In any case, it is necessary to mention that gourmet products are not necessarily the most expensive and exclusive, but rather those that come from respectable collection or production, regardless of their price. Both an apple from the market and a dish from the most expensive restaurant in Paris can belong to this classification.
Most artisanal products also belong to this classification, since they have been carefully made by people who love their work and want to offer a quality product; Even those that have additives for preservation (as long as these do not influence the organoleptic quality) can be gourmet products.
The concept of gourmet is linked to the quality of the raw materials and the complexity in the preparation of the recipes.
a television channel
The Gourmet o elgourmet, antes conocido como ElGourmet.com, es un canal televisivo y portal de Internet dedicado a difundir los placeres culinarios.
Several of the most renowned chefs in Latin America , such as Francis Mallmann , Iwao Komiyama , Sumito Estévez , Borja Blázquez , Narda Lepes and Donato de Santis , have participated in this station and taught the viewer how to prepare various recipes .
The gourmet and gastrosophy
Gastrosophy is the discipline dedicated to the study of appetite, joys and feelings. It is assumed that a gourmet will not only enjoy the best quality food, but will also have artistic and cultural interests linked to enjoyment.
Friedrich Christian Eugen Baron von Vaerst (1792–1855), conocido por el seudónimo Chevalier de Lelly, fue un militar y escritor señalado como el impulsor de la gastrosofía y, por lo tanto, precursor de lo gourmet.
The gourmet is also linked to hedonism , which is the philosophical doctrine that supports pleasure as the main objective of life. Selecting the right ingredients and dedicating the necessary time to each preparation is part of the gourmet philosophy, which aims to make food a moment of enjoyment.
This science has its similarity to philosophy in that it tries to define the importance of eating in a healthy and ethical way. According to Chevalier de Lelly, there were three types of diners: the Gourmand (passionate about food), the Gourmet (they like elaborate and refined dishes) and the Gourmet (they always choose healthy and more "moral" foods).
Several years later, the scholar Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin captured all of Lelly's ideas in the book "Physiology of Taste" where he explained in detail everything related to the importance of eating according to how you want to live . Unfortunately, over the years this philosophy has ceased to be given importance and today there is no teaching of this type as a University subject.
The ethics of food
Surely relating our diet to our way of thinking and our ethical values is the best way to become balanced people . There is a very widespread phrase that says " We are what we eat " and it hits the nail on the head.
If we are willing to have an ethical diet , without consuming products that derive from the slavery of other animals, we will be healthier people who live in greater harmony with the environment .
If, on the other hand, we prefer to give greater importance to our desire to enjoy a "good piece of meat" without caring about the mistreatment that occurs before that food reaches our plate, we will become selfish people who do not care about the environment. and we will live in conflict with the world.