“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” James Beard
Food can be a bridge and common ground between people. I often find myself talking about restaurants, new recipes, foods I’ve had while travelling and favorite foods growing up, whether that’s a conversation with someone I know or someone I’m meeting for the first time! I love how people’s faces light up or how they’re at a loss for words when describing their food experiences. It’s especially wonderful when you have these connections with complete strangers, it’s amazing that you can bond so strongly over your love for food!
I find it fascinating that out of our physical survival needs (that is food, drink, shelter, sleep and oxygen) food is so closely linked with experiences, memories and relationships. Maybe we’ve just evolved this way and integrated food into our social norms and communities, and created experiences and multiple industries around food. But you have to ask why that is, why does it work so well and why it’s stuck with us for so long besides survival. I really do think there is a special connection humans have with food, how it makes us feel physically and emotionally, and the pleasure we take from the food and the experience around it.
Food is such an important part of the human experience and I don’t think there is a substitute for it at all! It makes sense that it links so closely with communities and culture, because it’s not just an individual, static, physical experience, it’s a shared emotional, cultural, ongoing, human experience.
So, what is your favorite food experience? Was it something you had while travelling? A curated gourmet multiple course dinner? A childhood favorite? A meal cooked at home by a family member? Let me know in the comments!