10 Favorite TV Foodies

Here at Spoon, we think it's important to acknowledge people who show a passion for gastronomy. Whether or not these people exist is unimportant; what matters is their ardent love of all things food. Regardless of how they show it, these characters win us over because we sympathize with their sheer love of food.

10. Cookie Monster (Sesame Street)

Photo courtesy of Chicago Sun-Times

Some might consider it blasphemous to put such an icon at the bottom of the list, but, let's be honest, his diet is pretty limited. Although Cookie Monster extolls the virtues of balanced eating, everyone knows that his only obsession when it comes to food is cookies. Not that that's a bad thing – cookies are a vital component of the food pyramid, especially around the holidays.

9. Eric Cartman (South Park)

There isn't much to be said about Cartman; he's just your typical spoiled fat kid. He may call himself big-boned, but his constant munching on KFC and Cheesy Poofs would beg to differ. His Cheesy Poof obsession alone is so famous that it earns him a place on the list.

8. Leslie Knope (Parks & Recreation)

Much like her colleague Ron, Leslie prefers to fill her plate with non-salad options. Actually, her diet is probably 80% waffles considering she spent $1000 on waffles alone in one year. Not much of a chef herself, Leslie values the foods that would make any nutritionist shake their head in disapproval. No wonder she and Tina Fey are BFFs in real life.

7. Liz Lemon (30 Rock)

The proud owner of the e-mail tatertotfreak@hotmail.com, Liz is yet another character loved by America for believing that eating a lot > eating right. Her favorite food is undoubtedly sandwiches, but she also loves her morning hotdogs, night cheese, and Mexican cheese curls. Part stress-eater, mostly food enthusiast, Liz doesn't let anyone deny her food. And yes, she has tried to shotgun a pizza.

6. Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)

Like the shocking majority of this list, Homer is famous for his fondness of fatty food. Doughnuts might be his favorite, judging by how often he eats them, but who said he had to pick a fave?

5. Ron Swanson (Parks & Recreation)

More of a meat-ie than a foodie, Ron Swanson's diet reinforces his status as the personification of manhood. He eats platters meant to serve twelve people, appreciates a hearty breakfast at any time of day, and is offended whenever offered salad – or, as he refers to it, 'food that his food eats.'

4. Jake the Dog (Adventure Time)

Anyone who says "I love food more than I love people" deserves a place on this list. Jake is seen baking, eating, and fantasizing about almost every kind of food (besides chocolate). He incorporates food into figures of speech, such as, "she scares the filling outta my doughnut!" and "that thing's gonna bake our beans!"

3. Shaggy Rogers and Scooby-Doo (Scooby-Doo)

Another no-brainer for this list, this dynamic duo would much rather sit back and enjoy some tacos than solve mysteries. Those extended Hanna-Barbera chase scenes must be pretty exhausting, so who can blame Shaggy and Scooby for looking to take a break and nourish themselves? Fortunately, the rest of the gang has figured out how to manipulate their perpetual hunger into a motivator for mystery-solving: Scooby Snacks.

2. Hannibal Lecter

Hannibal's recipe cards include 'Crisp Lemon Calf Liver,' 'Parmesan Crumbled Lambs Brains,' and 'Chicken Liver Pate'. Okay fine, he uses human flesh in these meat-centric dishes, but at least he does it tastefully. While cannibals are usually envisioned as raving lunatics who go around gnawing on people's limbs, Hannibal brings an entirely new finesse to the term with his sophisticated appreciation for cuisine. He's the only person on this list who is never seen eating junk food, and his meal-planning process includes pulling one card from two boxes: one of recipe cards, the other of business cards of people in his freezer.

1. Joey Tribbiani (Friends)

Is an explanation really necessary? Joey is all about food, all the time. Well, that and women; when asked to pick one over the other, he eventually blurts out "I want girls on bread!" While he is usually seen munching on common things like pizza and sandwiches, he has also shown a taste for more refined dishes such as stuffed clams and lobster ravioli.

Disagree with these? Comment politely below and there might be a follow-up piece!

Trivia courtesy of Wikipedia, Tumblr, IMDb, Buzzfeed, endlesssimmer.com, and the shows' respective Wikis.

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