The Gourmet vs Gourmand Dispute
Definitions and Differences in French and English Usage of the Terms
Jun 28, 2008
French Meaning and Etymology
The website of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award states that "The origin of gourmand is celtic. In the 13th century Gioraman in Irish meant 'who has good appetite'. Gourmand has a noble meaning, and it is a compliment to be a gourmand. Gourmet is more recent, it comes from the Dutch Grom, meaning young man."
According to the same source "In academic French, Gourmet should be used only for wine" since in the 15th century Groom designated the servant who transported the wines. Groom later became Groomet, and from there Gourmet, to indicate a Sommelier.
The Celtic origin of gourmand is also confirmed in Origine et Formation de la Langue Française by A. de Chevallet (Paris, 1853): "Gourmand. — Irland. gioraman , gourmand , goulu , glouton, écoss. gioraman, item, employé comme substantif; gioramhach, item, adjectif; de giorr, se rassasier, se gorger. Gall. gormodi, être rempli, être gorgé, être rassasié."
Gourmet and Gourmand in English Language Dictionaries
The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English defines gourmet as "A person who knows a lot about food and drink and is good at choosing what should be combined together" and a gourmand as "a person who eats too much, esp. one who is more interested in the quantity of food than its quality".
The Concise Oxford Dictionary explains gourmand as "greedy feeder, glutton; gourmet" and gourmet as "connoisseur of table delicacies; judge of good food."
The three-volume Webster's Third New International Dictionary goes more in depth and defines gourmand as 1. "a greedy and ravenous eater" (synonym with glutton) and as 2. "a luxurious eater" (synonym with epicure or gourmet). Webster also confirms the "boy servant/wine merchant's assistant” etymology for a gourmet, defined as "a connoisseur in eating and drinking."
Regrettably, the Wordsworth Dictionary of Culinary and Menu Terms skips the terms altogether.
Gourmet and Gourmand in English Usage Guides
Fowler's Modern English Usage has a specific entry comparing the use of gourmand and gourmet: "The first ranges in sense from greedy feeder to lover and judge of good fare; the second from judge of wine to connoisseur of delicacies. The first usually implies some contempt, the other not."
In the Columbia Guide to Standard American English, Kenneth G. Wilson explains that gourmet is "a French borrowing meaning a connoisseur of food and drink, a person of discriminating palate," and that this is "much more in use in English today than its compatriot, gourmand, which sometimes means a big eater and drinker, or even a glutton, and sometimes simply a heartier sort of gourmet." He finally goes on to proclaim: "gourmand is fading; gourmet is overused."
Gourmet vs Gourmand according to Hervé This
Enter Hervé This, the founder of Molecular Gastronomy (and of course a Frenchman). In a footnote to the first chapter (Cooking and Science) of his new book Kitchen Mysteries, he writes: "A hierarchy is often established between gourmands and gourmets, the latter ranked higher, in an echelon that values quality over quantity. This is a mistake. A gourmand is one who likes good food, and a gourmet is one who takes delight in wines."
Escoffier's Ligue des Gourmands
Should the English language rehabilitate its use of the word gourmand? After all, if Georges Auguste Escoffier -— one of the prophets of the Culinary Arts — called his dining club La Ligue des Gourmands, the term cannot possibly have the derogatory meaning it is sometimes associated with.
