Mindful Eating (a la Ratatouille)
Hey Google, play Le Festin by Camille.
I am almost certain that this pop-culture icon needs no introduction, however, for the sake of the unaware, let’s talk about the Disney Pixar film Ratatouille.
To keep it short, the movie is simply about a rat (named Remy) who can cook. He makes an unusual alliance with a young and jumpy amateur chef (named Linguini) at a famous restaurant in Paris called Gusteau’s. How? Remy hides under a toque and pulls Linguini’s hair into following his orders (from mixing, to tasting, and plating!)
Anyways, there is one scene that I want to talk about in particular; And it’s this one:
As you may have noticed, Remy is experiencing what we call synesthesia. I’m not going to go in the deep end of that concept but basically, synesthesia is a psychological trait that associates objects and concepts to colors.
To the average viewer (which, let’s be honest, is probably 90% of us) none of that scientific mumbo jumbo really mattered. I wasn’t even aware of the concept of synesthesia back then; and thought that he was only doing what he does best–enjoying food. In fact, I distinctly remember my 8-year-old self imitating his actions, eating food separately then combining flavors and textures–in hopes that I’d get to appreciate it more and have the same experience he did; It’s almost laughable how I tried so hard to imagine a burst of colors everytime I took a bite of something.
Looking back at the film now, I realized that it actually taught us the foundation of mindful eating. More often than not, we are actually Emile’s in the fictional world of Ratatouille–gluttonous, perpetually hungry, and will usually settle for anything edible.
In Ratatouille, the audience is constantly being invited to enjoy; They are engrossed in a film that encourages experiencing food–from tasting to plating for maximum pleasure. And this, for me, touches on the subject of mindful eating.
Mindful eating generally means experiencing your food. The definitions can vary from one person to the next. Personally, I see this type of mindfulness in 3 stages: 1) awareness of the ingredients’ origins, 2) preparation and cooking process of a dish, and 3) slow eating.
Whatever the term means to you, make it matter! Food is meant to be experienced and enjoyed (which is why Italians have a long lunch break and are known to take a hefty siesta after). Here are 2 tips from the film to get you started:
1. Start Simple
A kitchen staple is a basic ingredient that people usually include on their grocery lists when it comes to stocking their pantry. Common items include: Eggs, Flour, Oil, Spices, Herbs, etc. These lists vary depending on your location (Rice would be a staple in Asia, whereas, bread would be in France). Go back to basics, just like Remy did with Linguini when he started their kitchen lessons with a simple omelette. Then, experiment with tweaking the ingredients or cooking process. Try adding in some herbs and taste the difference. See what tickles your fancy. Then, (take a page off of Massimo Bottura’s book) and elevate. (Or keep it that way–we don’t judge!)
2. Listen
Listen to your food just like how Colette and Linguini stopped to appreciate the sound of a freshly-baked breadcrust. Give importance and appreciate the sound of food, just as much as you do when you see and taste it. Listen to your body. Eat slowly and understand how it reacts to the food. After a while, you’ll begin to notice that some dishes will make you feel groggier/lighter the next day; or how certain ingredients don’t sit well with your stomach hours after finishing a meal. Listen to yourself and trust your gut (stomach too!)
Overall, take your time and just enjoy. Don’t devour food and chug drinks in one go as if your entire life depended on it. Bite, chew, sip, and pause. Happy Eating!
