Is food spiritual?

Eating can be a very transcendent experience for me. An ingredient, smell, or particular taste has the power to transport me back in time and/or space. The nibble of a boiled artichoke leaf dipped in lemon and oil sends me back to my apartment in downtown Santiago, Chile, as I enjoy the first course of a lavish lunch with La Nana and Loreto, home from work for a midday meal. The smell of milk and cereal at times has the ability to place me in our kitchen overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Fountainstown, Ireland, where I lived with my family for five months in 1994. A particularly salty clump of rice can transport me to Kenya and Dagoretti 4 Kids, the red brick boys' home where we feasted with fingers on potatoes and rice-- and the occasional liver if the home was ahead on finances that week-- each day for our main meal.

In short, food-- flavors, textures, preparation methods-- has the power to connect humans with other people around the world. Oftentimes, a particular dish can reflect the culture from which it comes-- its characteristics, spices, and customs. Food often unites me with diverse groups and geographic locations that I have encountered in my travels. Journeys of the mind and memory, sparked by a certain bite of a distinct cuisine previously digested, reflect the physical journeys and adventures I have embarked on throughout my lifetime.

In this blog, I will explore the intricately abstract yet almost tangible relationship between food, place, and memory: a relationship that can be defined vaguely as cherry drifting.