Food is Community

Sitting down for a meal has historically been a time for community. Meals are meant to be shared and are meant to be shared with those we have relationships with. From the Last Supper to simply “breaking bread” with our neighbor, meals have been a cultural centerpiece since humanity began its walk on Earth. Food brings people together. Eating together is a beautiful part of life and is one that should not be neglected. Eating food is about the nostalgic moments and the experiences we have together.

Everyone remembers a childhood recipe they ate as children. It could be a box pizza our Mom made, deviled eggs we would eat every Sunday, homemade quesadillas, it could be anything. What matters is we remember how amazing the food and experience were, regardless of how actually delicious the food was. It matters because at the moment, those were the most special meals. Looking back it is easy to say that box pizza was not the best pizza in the world but to us, it still is. The nostalgia and memory we have make these meals mythical. Everyone has their version of “boxed pizza” or “deviled eggs” in their minds of what their favorite food is. A good chef does much more than create delicious food, they want to create an experience that can fill the nostalgic craving in our minds. Food is about so much more than just the taste.

Humanity needs more time spent as a community at the table. In the United States as a whole, we collectively do not spend enough time at the table. We eat a rushed lunch to rush back to work. We eat as a means to move to what is next. We think of food as fuel not as an opportunity for community. When we go out to eat, there generally is a rush to leave after meals are eaten. That should not be the case. Use the time at the table to grow relationships with each other. Sit at a table for hours and talk. Experience life together. Experience the sense of community a shared meal can bring. Slow down and enjoy the memories that are already forming.

By “breaking bread” with each other walls come down. Life slows down and we are able to open up to each other. We are able to understand and feel a sense of what is going on in each other’s lives. Food and the experience of a meal make this possible. There is a reason so many dates, meetings, holidays, events, and parts of life center around being at the table. Food is a medium for the larger human experience. Share it with others and enjoy the experience and nostalgic moments that can happen.