ESSAY: FOODS AND FEASTS

Next to air and water, food is the most essential thing for the body. Hermes and Demeter were gods of food in ancient Greece, as Edesia was in ancient Rome. Adephagia was a goddess of gluttony in Sicily. In the Indic tradition, one has Annapurna, a household goddess, a benign form of Durga who is said to ensure food for all of humanity.

Every festival has a feast. Passover Feast for the Jewish people, Diwali dinner for Hindus, feast of Mahayana for Buddhists, Christmas dinner, Eid-ul-Adha feast for Muslims, and weekly Langar in Sikh gurudwaras.  Feast days often commemorate events and personages from the sacred history of a people. The associated stories carry the weight of centuries and the authenticity of cultural continuity.

Religious feasts express gratitude. As we read in Luke, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to others. Breaking bread is symbolic of sharing. Every festival feast is a collective breaking of bread. In that act, we are building bonds.

Banquets are large gatherings for a formal many-course dinner where there may also be formal presentations. Blessed is a community that has periodic banquets. One can taste sufganiyots at a Hanukkah dinner; znoud-el-sit at an Eid celebratory dinner, feuilletés d’escargots at a French Christmas dinner, and kesari phirni or okkarai in a Diwali feast.

Any curious traveler can enjoy  mannapuuro in Finland, Smørrebrød in Denmark, kimchi in Korea, ostrich steak in South Africa, couscous in Algeria, goulash in Hungary, sushi in Japan, paella in Spain, Bratwurst in Germany, Wiener schnitzel in Austria, Haggis in Scotland,  hormiga culona in Colombia.

The preparation of food is a sophisticated art. Too many cooks spoil the broth only when they all work in the same kitchen. But there are many cooks who cook a variety of foods meticulously with the right amounts of ingredients, and also serve, embellish, and present it all with elegance. That’s what haute cuisine is all about. If the proof of the pudding is in the eating, the delight in the dining is in the presenting. Marzipan in the shape of vegetables and fruits is as enjoyable to behold as to bite.  

There are conventions in eating: Protocols ranging from saying a prayer or bon appétit or its equivalent before starting; and toasting before sipping the wine collectively. We also have rules governing the placement of cutlery, and prohibitions against audible belching. At some weddings, there is the custom by which groom and bride offer each other a spoonful of something sweet to symbolize their promise to share everything in life.

Sometimes zest for eating can grow to grotesque gluttony. Rabelais’ Gargantua and his son Pantagruel were cannibalistic giants who devoured huge amounts of food. But they were dwarfs compared to Kumbhakarna – a character in the Ramayana – who “gulped 600 cartloads of rice, countless pots of liquor, and 1200 buffaloes. He gobbled elephants, even steel weapons!”

THE BEST OF ALL JOYS

Of all the joys that come in life,

Save the boudoir bliss of man and wife,

If I’m asked to just name one

That gives the most delight and fun

It will not be a movie great

Nor the book that I highly rate;

Running and jogging may both be wholesome,

But, like swimming and talking, they are tiresome.

Singing is soothing, but not for my throat,

Sailing is fine, but it calls for a boat.

Dancing is dandy, but it is a test

To check if your motions are truly the best.

Walking is weary, and smoking is hell,

Jokes to be funny must be told well.

Games are too risky; they give you the blues

If instead of winning, you happen to lose.

Now close your eyes, and contemplate

A sumptuous dinner, filling the plate.

With salad and dressing, a bottle of wine,

All at the table, with cutlery fine.

Could be veal or venison with almond paste,

Or fish and fritters, whatever your taste.

The thought of good food, seasoned, not bland,

Tickles the tongue and the salivary gland.

Of all the frivolous and fleeting joys

For young and old, for girls and boys,

There’s nothing that can make one feel

As satisfied as a gourmet meal.