Gourmet is a French word that the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) translates as gourmet, a person with an understanding of gastronomy or a fan of exquisite food.
Gourmet, therefore, is associated with the highest level of gastronomy. The quality of the ingredients and the way of preparation is what determines whether a dish is considered gourmet or not.
Gourmet foods are those preparations that have been made with exquisitely selected ingredients, with exhaustive hygiene care and organoleptic properties (perceived with the senses: smoothness, roughness, flavor, shine, etc.), and have also been prepared by people who, after many years of experience and a clear passion for haute cuisine, are prepared to offer a product that can be consumed by someone who truly appreciates its quality and delicacy.
In any case, it is necessary to mention that gourmet products are not necessarily the most expensive and exclusive, but those that come from a respectable collection or preparation, regardless of their price. Both an apple from the market and a dish from the most expensive restaurant in Paris can belong to this classification.
Being artisan is not a brand.
It's more of a real approach to food. Marketers are trying to use the "artisanal" to increase value and quality in an unstable market. Like when natural became organic. It is considered the birth of the artisanal of what is considered premium, and before that, the gourmet. It can be predicted that now what will be considered artisanal will be based on one's own culture given the growing globalization.
Artisanal implies a dimensional quality, implying a greater meaning than what it says on the label of any product. Not an extension of the product line, consider the following:
- A person creates his product in detail and with great care
- The product is generally made by hand, in limited quantities and using specialty ingredients.
- It must reflect experience, tradition and passion as a whole process.
Most of the artisan products have been carefully made by people who love their work and want to offer a quality product; even those that have preservatives (as long as they do not influence the organoleptic quality) can be handmade gourmet products.
