Bon Vivant

It is purely coincidence that today's post is about a French word . . .  I had forgotten entirely that my last post was about how much I love German.

Anyway, I thought it was a wonderful word and wanted to share it.

bon vivant: a person having cultivated, refined, and sociable tastes especially in respect to food and drink


I suppose the American English version of "bon vivant" is "foodie."  It doesn't quite have the same ring to it, but the meaning is the same.  It makes me think about my own gastronomical tastes.  I think about this a lot, actually.  About how I have countless friends who are bon vivants.  They are always up for a new and non-American restaurant, they always talk about the best dish at a place as absolute fact, and they sometimes take pictures of what they eat.  I admire them, actually.  I want to know which food is the best and what to recommend to people when we are dining out together.  I want to have the ability to read a menu and know what is going to be yummy.  It really does seem like clairvoyance sometimes.

I have siblings who are bon vivants.  My oldest sister Cami, my brother Brooks, and my sister Lexia.  Lexi is married to a bon vivant, and my sister Summer is, too.  They all enjoy a colorful plate of sushi on occasion, and they all have an answer for the question, "What's good here?"

Here's the thing, though:  I, myself, am not a bon vivant.  Sure, I know what looks good when it comes to baking, but how can anyone really go wrong with sugar, butter, and flour?  It's nigh impossible.  So I wonder what makes people bon vivants.  Are they supertasters?  Is a refined taste in food just something white people like?

Obviously, I don't know the answer, but if you are a bon vivant, leave a comment.  What do you think distinguishes you from the lay taster?


Thing I'm thankful for: new shoes from Payless