What is the Difference Between a Gourmet and a Gourmand?
According to some, there is technically no difference in Modern English between the terms gourmet and gourmand. Both have the meaning typically ascribed to gourmet, a person who enjoys and appreciates fine food. However, the two terms differ in their connotative meanings. Many English speakers feel that gourmand implies a tendency towards gluttony and that a gourmet is a somewhat more reserved individual. A gourmet may be considered more of a critic, and a gourmand more of a hedonist, though both are connoisseurs. In older or more conservative usage, gourmand is closer in meaning to glutton than to gourmet.
