1.
gourmet; epicure; foodie; devotion to fine food
A person who takes great pleasure in eating and pursues good food as a hobby or passion, or the pursuit itself. Can describe either the person or the lifestyle of seeking out fine dining experiences.
彼は食道楽だ。
He is a foodie.
父は若い頃から食道楽で有名だった。
My father has been known as a gourmet since he was young.
大阪は食道楽の街として知られている。
Osaka is known as a city for food lovers.
Compound of 食 ('food; eating') and 道楽 ('hobby pursued with passion; indulgence'). Describes someone who devotes time and money to seeking out fine food, or the pursuit itself. Unlike the neutral English word 'gourmet,' 食道楽 can carry a mild connotation of self-indulgence or extravagance — spending freely on meals is part of the image.
USAGE:
- Can describe a person directly (食道楽の人) or be used as a predicate (食道楽だ).
- Also used to describe a city or region known for its food culture, especially Osaka, which bears the epithet 食い倒れの街 ('the city that eats till it drops').
- The word gained wider currency from the 1903 novel 食道楽 by 村井弦斎, one of the first Japanese novels centered on cuisine.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 食道楽の街: a city for food lovers
- 食道楽の人: a gourmet; a foodie
- 食道楽で有名: famous for its food culture
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 美食家: gourmet; connoisseur — emphasizes refined taste and discernment rather than passionate pursuit
- 食通: food expert — stresses deep knowledge of cuisine and ingredients
- 道楽: hobby; indulgence — the broader term for any passionate (sometimes extravagant) pursuit
- グルメ: gourmet — loanword used casually in modern Japanese for food enthusiasts and fine dining