Why do we have "beautiful" food?
I've been thinking about this for a while now. The primary purpose of food is nutrition. It delivers fuel and other materials required for our bodies to function. It follows that, logically, as long as the food is good in terms of having the correct nutrients, who cares what it looks like?
Apparently, we do. We are obsessed with it even. Food Photography, for instance, is an entire genre dedicated to capturing the beauty of food. Like human photography, a lot of the "food" in photography is fake. A lot of it is not edible because white paint has often been substituted for milk while whipped cream is seldom what it seems.
Many of us do the "OMG, look at this cake, must Instagram before eating" thing. Don't lie, you know that's you. :)
Why is this? And exactly when did food beauty become a thing? I was thinking about this quite a bit. If we look at nature, we can see it, but with a purpose. Plants, for example, present beautiful food to insects in the form of flower petals. This is to entice birds and insects alike to aid in their cross-pollination efforts. So in nature, this serves a critical function, so is understandable.
In humans, we don't need to be enticed. Our stomachs and brains do quite well on their own. If you've ever been hungry and desperate for food, you would know that what the food 'looks' like means nothing. It's also clear to most that what food looks like has very little bearing on what it tastes like, or more importantly, its nutritional value.
It follows that the idea of food beauty must have arisen in abundance - where there's a surplus of food and people were spoilt for choice. Only with a full belly do you start to care about pretty food.
There's also another theory that food art started amongst those charged with preparing meals for kings, queens and the wealthy. Competition between them on who can make more alluring and inviting food became a thing - in order to secure their employment. In the case of kings and queens, in order to keep their heads! For if a prince found displeasure with your offerings, you might suddenly find yourself at the gallows. Terrible times.
Anyway, I find this stuff fascinating. It'd be cool if anyone out there knows more about the topic and cares to weigh in. I'm off to make some ugly but tasty food for lunch.
Peace and Love ✌🏿
Adé
All copy and photos are original content by me.
© adetorrent.com