noun
gourmet; food connoisseur
Refers to a person with deep knowledge and refined taste in food and cooking, similar to a gourmet or gastronome.
彼は料理通で、世界中の珍しい食材を知っている。
He is a gourmet and knows rare ingredients from around the world.
あのレストランは料理通の間で評判が高い。
That restaurant is highly regarded among food connoisseurs.
グルメ is a loanword from French and is widely used in Japanese for gourmet food or a gourmet person, but 料理通 has a more traditional and knowledgeable nuance.
Compound of 料理 (cooking, cuisine) and 通 (expert, connoisseur). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination naturally yields the meaning of a person well-versed in cooking.