What Makes Something Gourmet? A Guide to Culinary Excellence
Have you ever wondered what are the differences between regular and gourmet food? In this article, we discuss what makes something gourmet. We look at different aspects of the food including preparation, ingredients, and even the chef themself. In this article, we also provide examples of common gourmet foods. Without further ado, let’s dive into this guide to culinary excellence.
Gourmet Defined
When determining what makes food gourmet, you should look at the quality of the food, the preparation, the presentation, and often, the price. Gourmet food and drink use quality ingredients such as organic fruits and vegetables, small-batch, or handmade cheese, and these ingredients are usually maximized, with few ingredients in one dish. It takes years of training under a master chef to gain the skills necessary to produce a gourmet dish. A gourmet dish is presented artistically with splashes of color and contrasts often with a smaller portion.
It all Starts With the Ingredients
Quality ingredients are a chief concern for gourmet chefs, in fact, Michelin star chef Michel Richard, who trained Chef Rick of Santa Ana Sweets, would often go foraging for mushrooms himself to ensure their quality. Gourmet ingredients frequently include difficult-to-acquire ingredients such as caviar, saffron, truffles, and wagyu beef. More common ingredients such as lettuce or chicken are of the highest quality sometimes from local farms or rare varieties. A gourmet concoction uses few ingredients to showcase their unique flavors. For instance, Chef RIck’s gourmet chocolate-covered caramels from Santa Ana sweets use 4 ingredients.
What is a Gourmet Chef?
To become a gourmet chef takes years of practice and training under a trained chef. The expert techniques that a chef learns this way are what makes food gourmet. Michelin-star restaurants serve complex dishes that require the chef and sous chefs to begin preparation many hours before the doors open. Chef Rick trained under two, excellent, three Michelin-star chefs; Marc Meneau and Michel Richard. Each of these chefs taught him techniques that, to this day, allow him to create technical dishes that are a delight to the senses. Gourmet chefs can go into many areas of work, including the restaurant industry, private work, culinary school instructors, and many others.
Food Presentation
Gourmet foods are presented in a visually attractive manner. Chefs often use brightly colored sauces and vegetables to contrast with the colors of the dish. Gourmet food presentation is like a work of art, with slices of meat or vegetables fanned in an attractive way or scattered herbs to add visual interest. The presentation is what most people use to determine whether or not it is gourmet food. Some gourmet restaurants serve more common dishes like venison hamburgers, presented elaborately or stylishly. This change in presentation can increase the price tremendously.
What Makes Something Gourmet?
Gourmet is a term used to describe food and drink that is of exceptionally high quality, often expensive, and prepared with expert care. It is a cultural concept that emphasizes the appreciation of food as an art form. What makes food gourmet is the quality of its ingredients, the skill and detail of the chef preparing the dish, and the visual aesthetic of the meal. Gourmet ingredients are hard to get, handmade or organic. Chefs train years under skilled chefs to get the skills needed to prepare and present a gourmet dish. Gourmet dishes are presented with pops of color like a piece of art.
Amazing flavors like these are most often found in fancy restaurants however, Santa Ana Sweets’ caramels are made by Chef Rick, a Michelin-trained chef, handmade with simple ingredients, and presented with a sprinkling of sea salt and can be enjoyed from the comfort of your home or given as gifts, delivered to whoever you want to enjoy them.
