Churrasco
In defense of food and the communal art of cooking.
It is rather primitive, really. Starting a fire by hand? No. In this day and age, when people crave instant gratification in every aspect of their lives, someone willing to spend an hour just to get a fire going is, most likely, seen as a madman. With millions of prepackaged goods, fast microwaves and rice cookers, who really needs a fire? One can even use gas if grilling is the goal. Sure, the meat tastes better when it’s made with charcoal, but it’s not that much better either. Then again, flavor is overrated.
The way I see it, food serves two purposes. On the one hand, food serves a purely utilitarian function. It is the fuel of biological machines, a transaction that provides energy for cells to consume and keep the body alive. To that end, the food one consumes is irrelevant. A lab can formulate foodstuff to provide the right amount of nutrients at the right interval of times and keep a biology going. I know that well, as Soylent is my standard lunch five days a week already, mostly out of laziness and apathy towards my co-workers. And yes, you can live off of that stuff (though I wouldn’t recommend doing so).
But food also serves a higher function in society. Food is a bedrock in which communities are formed. It’s no coincidence that one of the staples of cultural heritage is a set of…
