If you are passionate about food and writing, you may be interested in learning more about how to become a food critic. Here you can learn all about what it takes to pursue this career.

• 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 all, 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.

• 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.
4. Expand your food horizons by eating cuisine from a variety of different cultures. If possible, go to the ethnic pockets of your city (such as Chinatown or a Mexican neighborhood) so that you can see how authentic versions are prepared.

• 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.
3. If you aren't familiar with blogging and you do not know where to start, try your hand at a few reviews on Yelp. All you need to do is set up an account with some basic info, and then you can review any restaurant that you wish. While this is not as prestigious as publishing, it will help you gain experience and polish up your writing skills before you start submitting your work to publications.http://www.yelp.com

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.