Faith Within the Cooking Area

Throughout Religion in the Kitchen, Pérez explains how the religious practices of the Lacumi are more centralized around the idea of devotion rather than understanding or actual belief. She illustrates that the micropractices that the members of the Lacumi do on a daily basis maintain their devotion to the gods and keep them within the sphere of influence of the religion itself. To me, I see this as more of a cult than a religion because this organization prizes membership higher than actual faith.

The ways that  the Lacumi are kept in line and a part of the religion are that they constantly follow what they are told to do without question and value the gods above all else. We referenced in class the man who was forced to quit his business job because it posed a threat to his devotion, thus showing that this religion demands quite a bit from its members. But what I believe is one of the more impactful ways that the Lacumi cultivate devotion is described in the Conclusion. Pérez references that before honey can be offered to Ochun, it must be tasted first to prove that it is not poisoned and ensure that it is of good quality. I see this action as one that cultivates devotion to the maximum because the sense of taste is, in my opinion, one of the most vulnerable of the senses. When we taste something, we are ingesting it, and allowing it into our bodies. If what we consume is healthy, we're fine, but if what we consume is toxic, we're screwed. Therefore, consumption and taste can bring us close to the situation for which we are exhibiting those actions. In the situation of tasting the honey before offering it to Ochun, I think that proves supreme devotion and loyalty in that the individual is hypothetically sacrificing themself should the honey be poisoned. It is effectively a representation that Ochun is above you and you are subordinate because you check the offerings before they can be made.

I also think about the discussion that we had in class around the question: is the taste of the gods more important than our taste, or vice versa? I believe my analysis supports the notion that the gods' taste is way more important since we are trying to emulate their taste. By tasting the honey before offering it, the Lacumi are checking that it is of a quality that can be presented to Ochun, thus they are trying to shape their taste to be similar to Ochun's to best please the god. It's just another example of how man follows in the steps of the gods and strives to be the absolute closest to them.