Bon vivant is a French term that refers to a person who enjoys the finer things in life, especially food and drink. It is closely related to gourmet and implies a certain social or economic class. Some people train themselves to become bon vivants through courses on wine tasting and culinary trends. However, being a foodie requires a willingness to accept whatever you eat or drink, which may not be possible for people with distinct tastes or limited diets. The bon vivant may not just be a pleasure-seeker, but may simply enjoy wine and food and know a great deal about it.
Bon vivant in French means good liver or good living and in the modern sense it defines a person who enjoys the finer things in life, especially those related to food and drink. The term bon vivant can be almost synonymous with gourmet or epicurean. Of these two related terms, bon vivant is more closely related to gourmet. An epicurean, in addition to enjoying excellent supplies, is also deeply interested in the arts.
The term has been used for at least several centuries, to describe those people of refined taste. In general, the gourmet wants to enjoy the most beautiful and most expensive things. It is therefore necessary to have a large budget or generous friends to become a bon vivant. If you live in complete poverty, it would make no practical sense to hold out for only quality food and wine. Instead you eat or drink what you can get. Thus the term also implies a certain social or economic class.
The idea of not only enjoying but also becoming a specialist in the pleasures of the table and the best wines to choose has become something that some people train themselves to acquire. While perhaps some bon vivants can be born, others are made through courses, offered in many cities. These lessons could consist of learning how to taste wine properly, distinguishing the “good” from the “bad” and broadening the knowledge of culinary trends and the most desired foods. If you have distinct tastes or a limited diet, it may be difficult to enjoy the “highest,” as it generally involves accepting some Western cultural norms about what constitutes the most desirable drink and enticing food.
Another barrier to being a foodie is a willingness to accept whatever you eat or drink, and simply not caring about your life circumstances. For example, you would find few people who strictly practice Buddhism who are foodies. This is beautifully illustrated in Somerset Maugham’s novel, The Razor’s Edge, where the narrator is at odds with Larry.
While the narrator is the quintessential epicurean and bon vivant, Larry is equally at home living on next to nothing, or enjoying the pleasures of a good meal. Larry cannot be a bon vivant, because he is willing to face any circumstance, eat in bad or good restaurants, and live in very small circumstances. He does not actively seek pleasure through food or good accommodation, but instead seeks mental stillness and a sense of peace.
Overall, however, the bon vivant may not just be a pleasure-seeking individual, but may simply enjoy wine and food and know a great deal about it. His happiness is not necessarily based only on the pleasures of the table. However, he may be delighted by good food or drink, or by the opportunity to showcase his knowledge in this area.
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