Ingredients that are rare or difficult to grow on one continent, and are therefore considered gourmet, may be common on another. The term gourmet can refer to a person with a refined or demanding taste who knows the craftsmanship and art of food and food preparation. Gourmet involves being a connoisseur of food and drink and the demanding enjoyment of them. It moved beyond wine to a broader term for food and wine.
It came to mean the best, the ideal, of something. For example, the best cheese would be a gourmet cheese. For millennia, about 10% of the population was able to eat foods that could have been considered gourmet in their time. When I spent a week there with friends in early March, I didn't expect much more than a wood stove, but I was pleasantly surprised by all the gourmet food.
A sweet tooth implies a great appetite for good food and drink, not without discernment, but with less than that of a gourmet.
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