Tom Standage does an excellent job in detailing the role food has played in shaping world events in his well-written book, “An Edible History of Humanity.” He cleverly describes food as the “invisible fork” that has “prodded humanity and altered its destiny.” Standage explains:
“To the discerning eye, food’s historical influence can be seen all around us, and not just in the kitchen, at the dining table or in the supermarket. That food has been such an important ingredient in human affairs might seem strange, but it would be far more surprising if it had not: after all, everything that every person has ever done, throughout history, has literally been fuelled by food.”Understandably then, food, prose and verse have been married since the first word was committed to parchment. Our exposure to food and the written word begin at an early age with childhood rhymes like Miss Muffet’s curds and whey; Jack Horner’s plum pie; Little Tom Tucker’s white bread and butter; Peter’s pumpkin; and Sam’s green eggs and ham.
In the hands of a skilled writer, food can play a pivotal role in propelling a story forward, like Scarlett O’Hara’s fiery oath: “... If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again.” Food can also be used quietly to explore a character’s cultural background. Amy Tan, for example, used food in “The Joy Luck Club” as a symbol for a mother’s love of her daughter.
That same idea of food as love and family was repeated in the Taiwanese film, “Eat Drink Man Woman” (and its remake, “Tortilla Soup”). Other books and films carrying on with the theme include the deliciously filmed German movie “Mostly Martha;” “Big Night;” “Like Water for Chocolate;” and “Pieces of April.”
Food is sensual and sexy as in “Chocolat” (more so the film version than the novel); “Dandelion” (originally “Tampopo”); “Woman on Top;” “Waitress;” and “Tom Jones.”
Food is sinful: “Vatel;” “La Grande Bouffe;” “The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover;” and “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”
Food is life-altering as “Babette's Feast,” “Julie and Julia;” “The Chinese Feast;” “Fish Fall in Love;” and “Ratatouille.”
And of course food can always be used as a shock factor, as in Günter Grass’ “The Tin Drum” when Oskar’s mother kills herself by gorging on fish and eels. Thomas Harris’ wickedly delightful Hannibal Lecter creates a howl with his recollection of a fine meal: “A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.”
In a terrific column on the role of food and literature, scholar Jonathan C. David explains:
“Because food customs call forth such a labyrinth of associations on the part of individual writers, and because the inherent sensuality of food involves not only the senses of smell and taste, but also the other senses, food is capable of evoking an avalanche of memories and feelings. Food imagery may appear, therefore, in literature as a source of deeply embedded associations that lead into the depths of individual and cultural memory.”I found another enlightening essay at enotes.com exploring the ancient interplay between food and poetry: “Food has been a topic of poetry for many centuries and in many cultures; the notion that food writing and poetry writing are totally separate ventures is a recent development. Much of our knowledge of eating habits, culinary practices, and food taboos throughout history and around the world comes from poetry. Food in poetry also functions as a powerful symbol of spiritual and moral states, and at other times it is used as a sexual symbol.”
The Public Broadcasting System (PBS) delves more deeply into the subject of food in art and life with a very insightful, educational, entertaining website, The Meaning of Food. A great resource site, The Meaning of Food “is an exploration of culture through food. What we consume, how we acquire it, who prepares it, who’s at the table, and who eats first is a form of communication that is rich with meaning.”
Included in that site PBS has a fun slideshow dedicated to food in literature, citing classics such as James Joyce’s “Ulysses;” Miguel de Cervantes’ “Don Quixote;” Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales;” and John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden.”
Whether writing poetry or for the page, stage or screen, don’t overlook the powerful role food plays in our daily lives. As novelist and playwright J.B. Priestly so perfectly summed up life:
“We plan, we toil, we suffer - in the hope of what? A camel-load of idol's eyes? The title deeds of Radio City? The empire of Asia? A trip to the moon? No, no, no, no. Simply to wake just in time to smell coffee and bacon and eggs.”If you don’t know how to cook, that’s okay. There’s no better time than the present to start experimenting and learning the “joy of cooking.” You’re life and your art will definitely benefit from it.
Here’s a great jumping off point where food and literature truly come together: “A Feast of Words: For Lovers of Food and Fiction” by Anna Shapiro. Shapiro has created inventive menus to accompany the pleasures of reading Proust, Dickens, Melville, and Charlotte Bronte. Over 50 recipes for such delights as Quail with Potaoes and Grapes ("Babette's Feast"); Lamb a la Robin (“David Copperfield”), and Meat Tart (“Ethan Frome”) accompany essays which expound upon the importance of food in such masterpieces as Anna Karenina, Moby Dick, and Jane Eyre.
Here’s to good cheer, good company and good food and great art!
Other resources:
Food in the arts
The Long History of Food in Art
Food and Eating in the Movies:
Better Food Writing: Adjectives
The Function of Food in Mediaeval German Literature
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