foodie

A foodie is a person who has an ardent or refined interest in food, and who eats food not only out of hunger but also as a hobby. The related terms "gastronome" and "gourmet" define roughly the same thing, i.e. a person who enjoys food for pleasure; the connotation of "foodie" differs slightly—a sort of everyday person with a love for food culture and different foods. Some, such as Paul Levy, say the foodie can still be a "foodist". Foodie in slang can be used to describe someone who searches out food and bases their schedule around that endeavor.