I think of food simply as energy. The purpose of it is simply to make it possible for people to stay balanced and alive. I probably think this because I like science and tend to look at things from that point of view. I also just did not grow up placing a lot of value on food – it takes a long time to cook and prepare, and this seems like a lot of trouble for something that will be gone within half an hour. There is also the fact that this is New York City and people are pretty impatient, so maybe that rubbed off on me.
However, I realize that other people view food differently. For instance, when I visit family, there is more effort put into cooking and preparing a meal then I would consider necessary (since I would simply value convenience along with taste). There is also less time spent actually eating it, at least in proportion to the time spent making it.
I would say that I do not think the actual food is sacred. However, meals are. By meals I mean the event of people sitting down together to eat, and talk, and relax. My “ideal meal” would not necessarily be one where I had something really good to eat, but one that was memorable because I enjoyed spending time with the person or people I was eating with.
For instance, I once went to visit a cousin in San Jose. We went to a restaurant that one of her friends worked at, and stayed for two hours, talking, because I had not seen her in years. Another time, I was in a pizza place with friends for a whole afternoon, simply because it was winter and that was a place to be that was indoors. The list goes on and on. Do I remember what I ate and drank any of these times? No. I remember being with people and enjoying their company.
In conclusion, on a day-to-day basis, I see food as fuel, meant to sustain people. However, the things that surround food are just as, if not more important then the food itself.
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