Gourmand


A gourmand is a person who takes great pleasure and interest in consuming good food and drink. A gourmand has also been defined as a person who is "a glutton for food and drink", a person who eats and drinks excessively.

Description

The word has different connotations from the similar word gourmet, which emphasises an individual with a refined discerning palate, but in practice the two terms are closely linked, as both imply the enjoyment of good food.
An alternative and older usage of the word is to describe a person given to excess in the consumption of food and drink, as a glutton or a trencherman.
Another alternative use has gained popularity among parfumes and fragrance designers. In this realm, gourmand is a category of scents related to foods, such as cocoa, apple, or plum.
Regarding the latter usage of the term, there is a parallel concern among the French that their word for the appreciation of gourmet cuisine is historically included in the French Catholic list of the Seven Deadly Sins. With the evolution in the meaning of gourmand away from gluttony, towards the appreciation of good food, French culinary proponents are advocating that the Catholic Church update said list to refer to "gloutonnerie" rather than "gourmandise".