I am constantly amazed and impressed by the infinite power held by food. This may sound like an extreme exaggeration, but food really does hold some of the most impressive abilities out there. Food, sustenance, and nourishment are essential to every living thing on this planet; you have to eat in order to live. Food is one thing that everyone on this planet has in common with one another.
It is an identity that we all share.
We live in a world filled with adversities, politics, disputes, and hatred and “there’s so much going on, everywhere, there’s so many things to react to.” And having small commonalities such as this can be enough to bring entire communities together. For example, people from all over Southern California travel to Orange County to attend food fairs like the 626 Night Market. The 626 Night Market is hosted at the OC Fairgrounds and for weeks at a time, the venue is filled with hundreds of booths selling a variety of Asian cuisines and foods. With tens of thousands of Asian Americans coming to the night market, each of them can enjoy each other’s unique cuisines and foods together. How is it that something as simple as food can attract and unite such a large mass of people? What’s even better is that it’s not just Asian Americans attending the 626 Night Market, Caucasians, Hispanics, African Americans, and people of all races and ethnicities congregate at the fairgrounds to feast on and enjoy the Asian cuisines offered at 626.
Even on a smaller, local scale, food has the potential to draw people together. Potlucks are some of the best examples of community and togetherness. The thought that everyone brings something from their own home to share with others has a unique charm and homeliness to it-
Ah, once again, food shows us another one of its unique characteristics: intimacy.
Bringing a personal dish that’s loved by you and your family to a potluck, and sharing it with others creates a new and unique type of intimacy that is insanely exciting. Sharing this identity and part of your daily life with others is so common and seems so insignificant. But if you think about it, it forces a sense of vulnerability and personability onto you by sharing a part of yourself with others.
In a globalized world with so many connections, food has been and will continue to be the #1 uniting force among diverse people and groups. Every time you go to a party, what is one thing they are almost guaranteed to have? What can be seen in every movie and TV show? At schools, what is there a designated break for? What are most of the stores in shopping centers selling?
Food.
Food is everywhere and surrounds our daily life because, once again, it is essential to us as humans. “It’s just the connection[s]” that food can create that are so extraordinary. How amazing is that?
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