How to Become a Food Critic

If you are passionate about food and writing,you may be interested in learning more about how to become a food critic.

Food Critic Andrew Zimmern

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Step 1: Develop Your Knowledge of Food
- Just loving to eat, and knowing what you like is not enough to be a good food critic.
1. You need to know when a dish is properly prepared. For example, even if you like your meat well done, you need to be able to tell the difference between rare and medium rare meat.
2. Take a few local cooking classes, or read "foodie' books to broaden your knowledge.
3. Research current food trends by reading cookbooks, magazines, trade journals and food web sites.
Introduction
- If you think that the life of a food critic involves being paid to consume wonderful food and write about, this is not the line of work for you. You'll wind up tasting many disappointing dishes, and when you do have something wonderful, you may not be able to enjoy it, because you'll need to taste some of several different dishes. However, if you are fascinated by the preparation and presentation of food, have a detached critical eye, and a facility for words, this field may be one you'll excel at.
Step 2: Start with Local Restaurants
- Begin by evaluating local restaurants, and submitting reviews to local newspapers.
1. You may not get paid initially, but you will gain experience and exposure.
2. If you can't get your reviews published locally, post them on a blog, while you continue to polish your craft, and continue to submit reviews for print publication.
Step 3: Tips For Effective Food Writing
1. It's not just about the food. The quality of the service, the cleanliness, the accuracy of the menu descriptions, and the general ambiance of the restaurant all affect a diner's experience, and should be shared with your readers.
2. You can't be a picky eater. Food critics need to order and taste a wide variety of food, and be able to objectively evaluate the preparation and presentation, whether or not the item is one they personally enjoy eating.
3. When dining out for work, you'll be doing more tasting than eating, as you need to evaluate a number of dishes.
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