Amidst the Pandemic

My divine encounter with food….
                                                                                                                                    https://everythingburger.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/burger-337-donut/

As we began to discuss taste and medieval rituals I could feel my stomach begin to grumble, the mere mention of chocolate, and bacon made my mouth water. I like to consider myself as a pretty big foodie, but never did I expect to associate God with a particular taste. I had never really thought about how many divine revelations dealt with food, or the various mixed metaphors the bible uses to discuss God that include taste. My hunger settled down, and I was able to really think about the relationship between God, and food.

 

http://www.cravebits.com/food-gods/

There are five ways that synesthetic metaphors using taste convey experiences of divine, these made me re-consider what I thought about the connection between God and food. So much so that I think this is an ideal way to try to explain in words what a divine experience would be like. What better way to depict such an encounter than a multi-sensory experience, which incorporates very opposite experiences that somehow go together? These metaphors give us a way to create an image, idea, or feeling allowing us to bring near what is far. We all know that knowledge is power, and these metaphors associate tasting, with a type of knowing. They also convey the experience of the divine through describing tasting what is “good” and tasting the bitter (which in a certain context can be interpreted as good). I think that the ideas behind these synesthetic metaphors sat so well with me is because in many ways when I discuss, eat, smell, taste, or savor food I do so in my own “synesthetic” way. Clearly, a divine revelation in the bible is a little different than my own person divine revelations with food. But haven’t you ever described food as divine? I know I have.

 https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4134/4755820880_daa80da3f6_z.jpg

When I describe my favorite meals I can feel my mouth begin to water, depending on the food a different memory comes to mind, bringing a whole slew of emotions to the forefront. It could be as simple as my Nonna’s Sunday sauce, red sauce, with lamb meat, with al dente homemade egg pasta, that is not too thick or too thin, and holds the sauce just right. In my head I can picture the meal, I can see it (although it is not really there), as my mouth continues to water I begin to taste the complexities of the sauce, salty with a hint of sweet, the meat so savory and juicy. I can also hear the sound my fork makes against the bowl as I twirl my first bite. Just talking about food makes me feel hungry. Similarly to the ideas from the bible food is our way to bring near what may be far, whether it be different ethnic foods, or family receipts. This also brings up the aspect of tasting and knowing, through tasting different ethnic foods we have a greater capacity to know more about them, and learn about their culture. The ideas of “good” and “bitter” were explained through the Hillel sandwich, but I think we can also think about things such as Warheads, grapefruits or coffee, all bitter but in a certain context can also be good.

 http://lifehacker.com/5887940/make-spice-kits-for-faster-more-flavorful-cooking

God is flavorful. Both bitter and sweet, opposites that somehow perfectly fit together. In my opinion the same way you combine different flavors to prepare a meal God is filled with a multitude of flavors that evoke different emotions in us. These combinations allow us to create a conceptual understanding of God. Chefs often describe meals as complex, and each part perfectly meshing together, this is what I think God tastes like. A complex meal, with layers, a multitude of ingredients, and each time you take a bite you experience something different.