For me, offering and recieving food has become synonymous with cultivating a sense of security. The biblical connections of sharing food prompted me to contemplate the modern-day expectation that, despite whether or not someone is religious, it is considered rude to not offer someone food.
I found that whenever I was at social events when I was younger, I would unconsciously find myself drifting towards food whenever I felt anxious, unwanted or isolated. I think this compulsion lies beyond the need for distraction, instead the answer perhaps lies in the idea that food serves as a symbol of love and care which transcends culture/religion. The apparent link between nutrtion as a crucial component to human survival seemed to emerge subconsciously at times I deemed myself to be in ‘danger’. Thus it makes sense that we subconsciously seek security in food as a symbol of acceptance, as non-verbal reassurance that we are cared for.
Similarly, bringing food to an occassion can be viewed as a contribution towards establishing this sense of security, of cementing your rightful place at a gathering. “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them” [1] pinpoi
nts a sense of security in sharing, that today replicates a sense of togetherness which can be universally recognised.
I think the religious incentive of providing and sharing meals has formed the foundation for a social conduct which has grown to disregard the cultural origin of food in exchange for recognising the underlying motives associated with offering and accepting food.
[1] John 6: 47-58 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+6&version=NRSV
This was spectacular! I must admit I was so consumed (no pun intended) with the ills of consumer culture and food waste that I had forgotten how lovely simply the sentiment of food, the sharing of it, is. How food is truly the most wonderful out of all the basic needs of living things. This post did really well in reminding me of this. There’s something egalitarian about having meals; everyone needs to eat. However, unlike other things we all need to do, it’s really clear that food is just imbued with an inherent element of warmth. This is probably why so many of our activities are based around food (family gatherings, dates, cultural festivals, etc.). I think this speaks to how natural it is for people to bond over a meal and for cultures to adopt, adapt and integrate with other cultures when that food fusion is forged in appreciation and love.
I completely agree that food offers comfort and security in a social setting. Not only do certain “comfort foods” satisfy our palate’s cravings, but they also provide an emotional sense of ease and relief. In fact, it’s said that you can clear tension and conflict in a room simply by taking a bit out of an apple. The social process of eating, as you mentioned, clearly does serve as a symbol of love and care.
Bringing food to event feels almost like a social contract, where i feel uncomfortable showing up to, say, a barbecue completely empty-handed. In Kiwi culture, “bring a plate” is such an informal yet implicit understanding- that food brings us together in mutual reciprocity.
I think this article perfectly encapsulates the notion that despite the changing societal context under which food is shared, the core principles remain the same. That is that food is a proxy for community and belonging – that food brings security to individuals and strengthens social bonds.
This link between food and security is evident in unfamiliar social situations. More than abating our hunger, it gives us something to do with our hands and a (somewhat strange) sense of purpose. At school events, boys will naturally gravitate towards debating the finer points of the density of the brownie or the flakiness of the mini pies. Therefore while I agree that in many senses food provides individual ‘non-verbal reassurance’, it can also be a shared experience with a binding effect.
Conversely, in familial situations, I agree that the act of bringing food is a means of ‘cementing your rightful place at a gathering’. I would only note that the religious context of sharing food may not be so much ‘transcended’ as ‘transposed’. In a secular and time-poor world, putting in the time to make and share food is a non-denominational statement of love and spiritual connection – the pseudo-religious doctrine for a new age.