First of all, there is a huge line to be drawn between restaurant criticism and food criticism, because they are completely different genres. Judging a restaurant is a complex task in itself. You have to take into account the type of restaurant, its theme, its appearance, its location, the types of food. In addition, it is essential to consider how well it fits in with trends and what kind of audience it is targeting. There can be a lot of complexities. In contrast, in a food review, the above are only the basis, the background, but not the food itself. However, judging the quality of the food is highly subjective, but there are some „professional” basics that you need to know. If the absence of these in a given product is noticeable, a food critic should take note.
Who can be a food critic?
The strange and beautiful thing is that even the most professional chefs don't always agree on everything. They simply believe in different things, different technologies, different solutions, and that's true for all professions. As in recent years gastronomy has become fashionable, and chefs are mentioned as a profession with a nice ring to it, food reviews, restaurants and the lives of chefs are also of growing interest. But it is a long way to become a food critic, someone who is credible, someone who is accepted by the profession, someone whose voice is listened to, someone who is listened to by a knowledgeable section of society. If you want to become a food taster, it's good to get the basics right first. The first thing is to go to a specialised school. A degree in food science, food engineering, or a degree in cookery or culinary arts. After that, it is important to work in the field. Once you have spent a few years in the industry in a food company or kitchen, you will have a a solid foundation. Know the technologies, raw materials and their behaviour. A food critic knows what the smallest component of a dish is made of and how it is made.
The food critic is also a journalist
If you have already equipped yourself with a lot of theoretical - practical knowledge about the science of food preparation, you might be a food critic. However, it only works if you can put your experiences and opinions into a simple, understandable form. You don't need much more than an innate talent for writing, a basic knowledge of journalism and a knowledge of the genre. If you have these skills, you also need practice, which, according to the experts, requires writing about two thousand news items and the same number of articles.
What to do once you have all the basic skills?
Just like in any profession, you have to practice a lot, i.e. taste it. Analyse while tasting, think about it, and do it all continuously. The food critic is constantly on the lookout for the latest trends, the various modern equipment, the ingredients. If you do all this for years, you can achieve your goal. Cuisine is a very important part of culture. It has a history and stories. The food critic knows it, sees it, and is constantly looking at it. Curiosity, discernment and the ability to see the connections are very important to him. Anyone who loves gastronomy and wants to be involved in it can have an extremely rewarding career, but it takes a lot of hard work.
The first food critic
In France, Grimod La Reyniere was the first to do this. On several occasions, he invited parties to his home, where he presented dishes. At these gatherings he documented everything and published the Almanach des Gourmands (1803-1812). The most prominent food critics who wrote for newspapers, magazines and published cooking and restaurant reviews were Henri Gault and Christian Millau, who founded Gault Millau in 1965.
The „food critics” are multiplying like mushrooms”
Nowadays, it has become fashionable to publish about gastronomy and restaurants, and with the help of the internet and social media platforms, this genre can be perfectly practiced. However, it is a different matter to what extent they have the qualities listed above. In our country there are in fact few serious food critics. Namely Tamás Molnár B., Pierre Vajda and Sándor Csíki. There is a lot to learn from them and their work.
