Who can resist food? As a physiological need, eating is one of the most enjoyable pleasures in life. Everybody eats, regardless of one's eating lifestyle. Food appeals to our gastronomic senses that everyone can relate to. If you are passionate about food and have a way with words, food writing is a niche that is guaranteed to make your writing career rewarding.

How does one become a food writer? If you intend to focus as a freelancer, the first thing to consider is your descriptive skill. You have to describe food in a way that appeals to all sensory details. Our senses are connected, so keep it concrete as if the food is actually in front of your readers: They can see, smell, and taste it. Even a descriptive fiction writer like Brian Jacques, famous for his Redwall series, was very descriptive. His description of a food banquet would make you crave food. Another element to consider is comparison. For example, you can describe the taste of a blue lobster to another lobster dish that you’ve had in the past. Consider the texture and the way it was cooked.

I cannot stress this enough, but wordsmithing is integral in food writing. Consider yourself a food critic like Ratatouille’s Anton Ego without the imperiousness and acerbity. The trick is to use your wordsmithing skills to turn on that part of your reader’s brain into getting absorbed with your article in the process. Yes, there’s a part of our brain responsible for keeping us engaged in an activity and keeping us focused. Have you ever noticed when you are watching a horror flick you scream, bite your nails, or seek refuge under the sheets? That’s because you find yourself getting involved in the movie’s plot. It’s the same thing that happens when we think about food, especially when we are hungry. Imagine how much more engagement your readers can experience when you describe a gourmet cheeseburger as “mouth-watering” or a watercress salad as “succulent.” Concrete words, especially adjectives that describe food, can trigger that part of our brain to keep reading and stimulate emotional and psychological connections that could even goad us to run to the nearest restaurant.

Given that you have written your articles and have built your own food blog to showcase your pieces, you would want to expand your reach. Living in a large city like New York or Los Angeles gives you close proximity to the latest happenings in and around the scenes. Depending on the guidelines, you can pitch or submit your food articles to major newspapers. These newspapers have a large circulation and wide readership. People read different sections in the newspaper. If a huge segment of the market is reading the funnies, an even bigger segment is reading the food section. Most large cities these days are a growing melting pot of different people. These people need time to reinforce their social lives as their reward for their hard work. They will always check on the latest hang out places like bars, clubs, and restaurants. Both locals and tourists in the big city look for recommendation on where to find good drinks and eats. As a food writer, you can provide this invaluable service.