The Joy of Food

Food is more than survival. With it we make friends. court lovers, and count our blessings. What is it about eating that brings us closer?
The sharing of food has always been part of the human story. From Qesem Cave Tel Aviv comes evidence of ancient meals prepared at a 300,000-year-old hearth, the oldest ever found, where diners gathered to eat together. Retrieved from the ashes of Vesuvius: a circular loaf of bread with scoring marks, baked to be divided. "To break bread together," a phrase as old as the Bible, captures the power of a meal to forge relationships, bury anger, provoke laughter. Children make mud pies, have tea parties, trade snacks to make friends, and mimic the rituals of adults. They celebrate with sweets from the time of their first birthday, and the association of food with love will continue throughout life..........(Victoria Pope).............read more; National Geographic, December 2014