1.
gourmet; epicure; food connoisseur
A person who appreciates and has refined taste in fine food and drink.
彼は美食家だ。
He is a gourmet.
美食家の友人にレストランを紹介してもらった。
I had my gourmet friend recommend a restaurant.
美食家として知られる彼女のブログには全国の名店が紹介されている。
The blog of the well-known food connoisseur features famous restaurants from across the country.
FORMATION: 美 (beautiful) + 食 (food) + 家 (person/expert). The suffix 家 denotes a person who specializes in or is known for something.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 美食家として知られる: to be known as a gourmet
- 美食家の舌: a gourmet's palate
- 美食家も唸る: to impress even gourmets
SIMILAR WORDS:
- グルメ: gourmet (loanword, more casual and commonly used in everyday speech)
- 食通: food connoisseur (similar formality to 美食家)
- 食いしん坊: glutton, big eater (focuses on quantity rather than quality)