During Lent, foodies must fast, abstain (and starve). Thus, like the orphan Oliver in the musical, they dream about “food, glorious food.”
To survive, we need essential elements — clean air and water, food, shelter, and clothing. Food nourishes us and satisfies our energy requirements, and inner psychological needs.
The gourmet considers good food, the raison d’être. He loves food and lives to eat. Our food preferences and manner of eating reveal much about ourselves, our culture, social background, personality and eccentricities.
Taste and presentation matter.
Many activities — business, social, and family — revolve around the gratification of eating. A Freudian theory is evident in the number of meals and snacks that we take.
We nibble when we are happy. We binge when we are sad, frustrated, anxious, and stressed. Or the reverse, depending on one’s emotional profile.
Psychologists have said that our physical appetite and emotional needs are interrelated. There is an irresistible craving for chocolate when one is feeling low. Eating it causes the brain to release serotonin, which is associated to the feeling of happiness, elation, and “being in love.”
We celebrate contract signings, inaugurations, and trade exhibits over lunch or cocktails. Visiting firemen from the international head office are deluged by genuine Filipino hospitality. They are treated to an inexhaustible round of parties and restaurant hopping despite their desire to rest and eat light.
Baptisms, debuts, engagements, and wedding feasts happen everywhere. Wakes, funerals, and novenas are like parties with buffets, music, and Tivoli lights. Recently, the soigné set have added annulments and divorces to the list of celebrations.
On a socio-psychological scale, it is amusing to observe how each generation’s food profile varies. There is a discernible pattern among urbanites. People are classified according to age, epicurean taste, and diet.
Baby Boomers were raised on high protein meals.
The Flower Children and Martial Law babies share an affinity for high energy carbohydrates — pasta, croissants, risotto, and paella, with good fish and seafood, and heathy leafy greens. They crave high-cholesterol beef, jamon Iberico, and charcuterie with fruits. The Millennials are blessed to have been raised by enlightened parents who served high-fiber health foods, cereal, soy milk, fresh fruits, veggies, salads, and sushi. The new generations play sports and do cross training exercises in the gym, and sports in the courts or fairways, pool, or gym.
We have taller, leaner, and smarter specimens of fitness and wellness. They are IT-savvy, so they tend to play with their gadgets and focus on social media instead of interacting with their parents and professors.
The well-preserved folks of the pre-war, WWII, and Liberation era are known as the Spam generation. They liked the US military bases with their processed food packed and spiked with sodium, sodium nitrate, and preservatives — bacon, corned beef, Vienna sausages, hot dogs, canned milk, and PX chocolate brands. Like the soldiers and Scouts, the Spam generation survived with the no-fuss instant coffee and comfort junk food. These items appeal across generations — salty chips, greasy nuts, and peanut butter.
The children of the Spam generation have eclectic dietary habits combining the best and the worst in nutrition. They were force-fed spinach, avocados, monggo, and other unpalatable veggies.
The sinful treats were frozen TV dinners, fried eggs with crispy bacon, canned peaches with syrup, whipped cream, churros and hot chocolate. Dietary deficiencies were offset by multivitamins and supplements.
We had been programmed to accept polarity — lyrical poetry and chaos in our love lives.
Although many of us are aware of and practice good health habits, we still tread the food tightrope of pleasure and pain, satisfaction and guilt.
We manifest some of the old colonial mentality and hanker for the “lite,” “low fat,” “sugar-free.” We know the long-term use of sugar substitutes is harmful.
Food tastes are evolving now to healthy levels. Fibrous muesli, bran, whole wheat bread, and oats are more visible now. Brown or red rice, tofu, veggies, fruits, fish, and the (skinless) white meat of chicken. Organic is in. GMO is out. Preservatives are out except among embalmers and unscrupulous farmers.
(Still, some high-end brands of makeup have certain ingredients that are carcinogenic. These items — shampoos, lipstick, and lotions — are banned in California. If only these well-known companies would check or re-check all the items).
People travel more frequently, and they acquire diverse culinary experiences through exposure.
They can experience exotic Beluga caviar, Scandinavian reindeer, the Turkish delicacies like baklava, Greek lamb, Basque pintxos, Shanghai crabs, Belgian chocolates made with cocoa beans from Davao. There has been a gradual shift to global taste.
An epicurean adventure requires a sense of risk, a love of novelty, and no allergies. Exploration on a culinary level connects people and diffuses generation gaps.
Bon appetit!
A blessed Easter to all!
Maria Victoria Rufino is an artist, writer and businesswoman. She is president and executive producer of Maverick Productions.
mavrufino@gmail.com
