Hw # 2 - Food - Initial Thoughts

Food. A word that instantly makes me image my favorite food leading to me then trying to remember the taste it creates on my tongue and then my stomach growls out of hunger. When I think of food images of pasta, sushi, tamales , or just slice of pizza runs through my mind. But for everyone else these images can be different, which makes me wonder if there is scientific reason for this, making one enjoy certain food over another or if it is simply just a choice?

For me where I eat is never a question, its always the same at home at the dinner table with my family. My parents have always been strict about having actual family dinner, where we all sit together and converse about our day and what's going on in life. This only changes on weekends where its at a restaurant instead, but the principles are pretty much the same. Its also the only time we actually come together because we're always on our thing, so its our way to reconnect. To think that food is what can bring a family together!

My typical meal isn't bad but it does fail on what I'd like my ideal meal be. My ideal meal is located at the backyard of my grandmother's house with my huge and also extended family everyone is cracking jokes in Spanish, my aunts and uncles are cracking open coronas and victorias, while I'm surrounded by my dozen cousins who are like the sisters I never had, with the smell of steak, onions, nopales and tortillas that are on the grill drifting in the air with my mother and aunts hovering over it, my grandfather sitting down ready to take his bible out at any second and my little cousins running around playing. So can easily see how much my typical meal fails from being my ideal meal.

I believe food is sacred, because of the fact it is what helps us survive (w/ help of water as well.) and it nourishes us. Keeps us healthy and strong to continue with our daily activities and creates these rituals each household and society follows. Being sacred means it is treasured so usually food being wasted is badly looked upon because some one else in the world is yearning and in need of food to live. It also makes food holy, for example some even say grace to thank for having food on the table or have food blessed.

What I find the most interesting about this topic is how, where and what each different culture eats. Like in Japan and China it is common to eat with chopsticks, in the U.S. we use forks and knifes, and a traditional Indian will eat with their hands. What should and shouldn't be done at the table is different as well, burping or ripping one at the table is seen as rude in some cultures while in others it is seen as polite and good manners because it shows that you enjoyed your server's meal. Or the place where you eat is not the same everywhere, for example in US food is usually eaten at a table while in India " Dining table is regarded as a western thing. Most homes have dining tables now, but the traditional Indian way of eating is on the floor, sitting cross legged in a circle with all food placed in the center." (http://www.helium.com/items/1012589-proper-dining-etiquette-in-india) Or the food that is served changes depending where in the world you are eating, because somethings are seen as weird in some cultures while in others it is normal. We in US see eating a cat for dinner isn't normal while some in China do find it normal. So your culture also affects what you eat, the way you eat, your etiquette, where you eat and everything else that concerns food.