the food of my family

When I think about the importance of food and how it's production and consumption can have effects in so many different arenas I'm quite astonished, but that is only because when I'm enjoying a meal with people I care about and/or after not having food that compares to what I am eating then, the thought of how the food got there or the hoops farmers had to go through in order that my grocery store would buy it does not even cross my mind. The importance of food can both be felt on a global, physical level, as well as a personal, mental level - the latter of which we have not discussed in class and therefore must post here.

I'm not sure exactly if I've had a "spiritual" experience when it comes to food - sure I've had really really good food and meals with loved ones and friends that have been bonding, fun, and very memorable experiences - but I suppose that something as physical as food cannot provoke a spiritual feeling from me, at least as I define it. However, certain foods can evoke a special memory, they can remind me of people, places, and periods of time that are extremely important to me and I suppose that that can be translated to a sort of "spiritual" feeling.

• Kool-Aid reminds me of my childhood, which I hold dear
• Nature Valley bars remind me of high school and how all of my friends used to tease me for eating something that was as hard as rocks
• V8 and salads reminds me of my numerous attempts at dieting
• Ledo's Pizza reminds me of home and my family, since we used to eat there almost once a week
• Curry reminds me of my Grandma and family get-togethers at her house, with more than a dozen white people eating home-cooked Indian food
• Roti reminds me of one of my best friends and how I used to steal her lunch every day senior year and made her promise me that before I get married she's going to give me cooking lessons for a year
• Samosas remind me of receptions after church
• Chicken wings remind me of the lengths my guy friends would go to get them
• Thai stir-fry reminds me of the trips my friends and I would make last year to escape Andrews for some good food
• Jamba Juice smoothies remind me of three of my best friends and summer
• Chipotle burritos remind me of home and all my friends
• Salmon and Special K loaf remind me of my mom and how everyone loves the Sabbath dinners she makes and the fellowship everyone experiences as they eat it
• Popcorn reminds me of my day since he eats it every Saturday night
• Pastel mints remind me of my god grandma since she makes them
• Apple Sauce reminds me of my baby cousin that I babysat this summer and how cute it was to watch him eat it

Each one of these foods are delicious, but just the thought of them brings on something that is so much more than their actual taste - it's the person, the place, the moment(s) that are associated with the food. I'm a very sentimental person, and when I say "very" I mean "very", so when I get home having that specific Sabbath dinner will probably lead to a speech about how thankful I am for my family and friends, etc. and when I eat curry I may just break down since my grandma is very sick and who knows how much longer she'll be able to make those dishes for me. The memories I experience, the reminders of the love I have all around me, are the spiritual feelings you could say that food can bring me personally.