Definition: produced by hand or using traditional methods, usually in limited quantities.

Context: Today, the draw for real artisan products is born out of a movement deriding overly processed, mass-produced foods linked to big corporations (Good Food World 2011).

Context: The artisan process requires a specific knowledge, caring or philosophy and is most often carried out by hand. Furthermore, artisan foods have been associated with fresh, non- or minimally processed and often, locally sourced ingredients (Bell 2013).

Context: A word to the wise: If something is labeled “artisanal” these days, it probably isn’t. Take, for example, Dominos Artisan pizzas, Starbucks Artisan Breakfast Sandwiches, and Tostito Artisan tortilla chips among dozens of other mass-produced products. What you won’t find labeled artisan, most likely, are the foods that have really earned the title: small-batch products, like cheeses, beers, chocolates, breads, cured meats, pickles, and jams that are created by a craftsman (von Biel 2011).

Sources:

BELL, Randy. “Clearing up confusion about artisan food: In an environment where the term “artisan” has become the latest buzzword, how does a consumer distinguish between a marketing label and the real deal?” Michigan State University Extension. http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/clear. Posted on May 30, 2013. Last accessed on December 3, 2016.

Dictionary.com http://www.dictionary.com/browse/artisanal

Good Food World. “When the Label Says ARTISAN, What Does That Mean?” http://www.goodfoodworld.com/2011/11/when-the-label-says-artisan-what-does-it-mean/. Posted on November 2nd, 2011. Last accessed on December 3, 2016.

Oxford Dictionary of English, 3rd edition. Online edition last updated in 2015.

VON BIEL, Victoria. “10 Truly Artisanal Foods to Try Now.” Forbes Magazine, online edition. http://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriavonbiel/2011/10/27/10-truly-artisanal-foods-to-try-now/#1b5ed34e21ae Posted on October 27, 2011. Last accessed on December 3, 2016.