Most of us enjoy food. But did you ever stop and think how unique our food selections are? Most animals live on a rather limited palate. In fact, some animals require extremely specific food sources. If that one source disappears, the entire population starves. But not us. Not only can we eat a wide variety of foods, but we are able to combine and manipulate food items to create amazing and tasty concoctions. This is remarkable when you think about it.
If we just ate grass, restaurants would not exist. Neither would grocery stores or food companies. No ice cream. No filet mignon. No quiche. No vegetable stir fry or moo goo gai pan. If we just ate rodents we caught, we would see cats as competitors and pests (I know—some folks think they are anyway.) You get my point. It is actually baffling to me how many friends on facebook take pictures of their food and share them with the world on the website. Food holds a special place for humans beyond the primary function of fueling our metabolism.
The sheer variety and artistry of our food and the elaborate cultural customs regarding meals and fellowship are actually a testament to our uniqueness as a species. Ben Franklin once quipped, “Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine, a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy.” I say food in general testifies to this.
Bon appétit!
SDG
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