Food bonds people and culture

12 year old Pihu constantly posing the same question to her mom, “mum, what’s special today for dinner?” Now she asks the same question daily not just to have a yummy dish everyday but to grab a chance to spend time with her whole family.  It’s the time in the evening where everyone in the family from their busy scheduled lives come back home and dine together. These moments during dinner are very precious to Pihu where she laughs, relaxes, quarrels with her brother, listens stories from her grandpa or plays with her dad, and gets some serious tantrums from her grandma. Dinner time is the best part in her day where she spends quality time, loves and enjoys being with her family.

This is the same scenario happening with most of usin every house. Research says having family meal together builds an environment that improves family conversation and decreases the gap in relations, promotes healthy lifestyle, strengthens family values. It also gives scope to discuss issues, to express love to each other and teaches one manners, discipline and respect.

The best part is there is no need for one to travel to a country to have its unique cuisine. For example one can have a Mexican dish right in the center of Mumbai just by a single click. While speaking about Mumbai it offers wide range of food delicacies majorly local street food such as Vadapav, pav-bhaji, chaats, dabeli etc. and its cuisine also gives flavors of south Indian, Chinese, Thai, Italian, Mexican, Mughalai, Punjabi and continental. The food ordering culture is completely disrupted by introduction of food ordering apps. Food ordering apps bringing many food joints on to one platform thus ordering food online in Mumbai is effortless and home delivery food is the new mantra of the youth, working professionals and house wives wanting a break from cooking in the city. More over home delivery food is delicious, fresh, served hot, instant and quick, can be ordered at any time 24X7, and also comes with big discounts and free home delivery. With these factors gaining attention of customers is a piece of cake for food ordering apps. Irrespective of occasion and event, food is delivered right to your door step, enjoy it with your family and friends, and let the smiles spread across everyone’s face as online food delivery is the new channel that helps to bond over food. What else you want just grab your phone and place an order right now it will be delivered in no time.

Food is not just a product that feeds our belly, food actually brings people together and creates a strong web of belongingness. Remember gol-gappagalloping with friends after school, long conversations during lunch breaks, special family dinners during weekends, lovely kitty partieswith colleges, may it be the board meetings in corporate houses, party meetings during political campaigns, evening chit-chat with friends, tea time with neighbors, special occasions like birthday parties, anniversaries, ceremonies, get-togethers, gatherings, festivals the event might change but food is the common point that bonds people together.

Food actually resembles celebration, happiness and belongingness. A famous phrase from bible “To break bread together” explains that food constructs relationships and togetherness. Food also reminds culture and helps to bring various cultures together. Food also shows our lifestyle and it becomes a part of our life.

Different cultures have unique food trends thus by having food of other culturesbrings us close to them. For example eating idli, Wada, sambar and rice a typical south Indian food makes us understand the food pattern that people follow in South India. Similarly having Italian food gives us glimpses of Italian culture. Even different countries have their own national dish and it represents their lifestyle, for example kabulipalaw is the national dish of Afghanistan which primarily consists of steamed rice added with raisins, carrot and lamb, since Afghanistan is a mountainous country, Yak and sheep flocks are generally bred which naturally became part of their meal and in Afghan culture they believe having a balanced diet should include steamed rice, boiled vegetables along with meat.