The Gastronomical Bond

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘FOOD’? I bet your thoughts will be far different from the thoughts of the Neanderthal man (may I simply call him Nandy). For Nandy, food was equivalent to survival as were water and shelter. Nandy never bothered to prepare a balsamic reduction to accompany his wild boar or gold roast his spatchcock. For him it was concise and crisp – hunt, kill (if not already dead), put over fire, eat! However, in today’s world of Nouvelle cuisine there is so much Master-chef mania in the air, that children may as well sous-vide their carrots and greens before having them. Whatever is the case, or the era of human evolution, food has always been a binding force, the glue which kept societies together.

Breaking bread is a phrase which is often used and which symbolizes the practice of sharing food to solemnise a meal. Though the name I believe lends its origin to the Christian Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper as it is more popularly referred to, the practice cuts across all religions, cultures and geographies. For example, the Japanese have a similar practice called the Kagami Mochi or the breaking of the Mochi, which refers to opening a bottle of Sake at a party or ceremony. Now that we have broken bread and broken open a bottle of drink, I guess the ice for the drink should preferably come from the term ‘Breaking the Ice’! The practice of offering a meal to a guest at one’s home symbolises acceptance of the guest into the household and the building of a deeper bond between the two people.

It goes without saying that the variety of cuisine across the globe is mind-boggling. However, on a closer look we will be amazed to see dishes in two distinct countries resemble each other as if the origins of the two were the same. A Falafel in the Middle-East is a distant cousin of the Parippuvada of South India. A Kati Roll of Kolkata in India is related to a Mexican Burrito or a Lebanese Shawarma. A Tibetan Momo is akin to a Chinese Wonton just like an Aegean Kakavia which is a Greek fish stew is another form of Bouillabaisse from Marseille. These are just the tip of a gastronomical iceberg!

So I conclude by asking you of a favour this time. Next time you sit down for a meal, remember another person on another continent is cherishing a meal which is very similar to yours and enjoy every morsel of the food on the plate without forking it down your throat or wasting any of it. Also, if you have any excess, do share some. It will help build a gastronomical bond with someone.  Because, only Nandy knew how difficult it was to get his meal. Now, we can’t go back and ask him. Can we?