What is food to you? Is it a means of sustenance or is it something more? Have you ever stopped to think about how the food you love and prefer tells a lot about who you are? I never thought about it before, but I found it interesting to think about. I want to share some of those ways in this post.
One episode of the Fandesals Podcast discussed favorite foods and food preferences. Looking back on that made me think about the significance of food other than being a means to survive. If you want to learn more about this podcast, the episode at the end of this post.
For me, food is more than something to fill my stomach. It is a part of life. It invokes memories, reflects culture, and brings people together. There are so many ways that our favorite food reflects who we are.
Culture and Food
The kind of food that a person likes often reflects on a person’s cultural background and upbringing. Food and identity have a connection, as reflected by cultural food preferences. We usually gravitate toward food that we are familiar with. The food we like can usually reflect what we grew up with and have gotten used to.
I recently learned this when our family moved from the city to the province. I realized that while food can be similar, the way we prepare food can be different from one place to another. It shows how food can reveal where you are from based on how you prepare or prefer it.
The best example of this is when it comes to Filipino food. Take sisig, for example. People cook this in different ways depending on what part of the country they get it from.
If you get it from Pampanga, which is where this came from, the sisig is from parts of a pig’s head. In other parts of the country, the sisig may not be parts of the pig’s head but would still be from pork. Sisig-style meals made from chicken, fish, vegetables, or tofu are also common.
Another difference that depends on the origins of a version is the use of toppings. The original does not use mayonnaise, egg, or other ingredients as toppings the way others do. Some areas also prepare it with a spicy flavor profile, and some do not.
Sense of Adventure
If a person sees food as an adventure and is willing to try new things, it shows a sense of adventure. This shows that a person is open to not only new food but also to new experiences. People who enjoy visiting new places are those who would be adventurous about food. They see trying new food as an essential part of their travel journey.
What Brings Us Comfort
Food that we love often gives a hint of what brings us comfort. When we need comfort food, the ones that we reach out for can reveal something about us. We may not always make healthy food choices, but doing so is essential for good health. It could be a clue into significant parts of our lives that usually are not revealed unless prompted to.
Usually, this is about memories where that type of food gave you the most comfort. It’s like when I say I prefer warm soup to be part of a meal. This is because warm soup always reminds me of when I did not feel well as a child. It reminds me of how my father would give me warm soup to comfort me. My preference for coffee is also rooted in my love for my grandmother and her fondness for coffee.
Unfortunately, not everything about food bringing us comfort is a good thing. Sometimes food becomes a form of addiction. Food can provide us comfort during stressful times. But it is not always a good thing. It can also become a crutch that we cannot overcome until it affects our health.
I once went through the stage of using food in this way. Emotional eating provides temporary comfort. But we have to remember it is never the solution to a problem. If this is something that you can relate to, I hope you can find the help you need. As good as food can be, too much of it is not good for your health.
Health
What we eat, particularly what we choose to eat or not to eat, could reveal how much we value our health. It shows not only our type of diet but also how certain foods can affect our bodies. We may not always make healthy food choices, but it's essential for good health.
Our food preferences could also reveal any allergies or health conditions we have. When we avoid certain types of food, this might be for health reasons and not because of what we want or don't want.
Priorities and Economic Status
Another thing that our preferred food reveals is how we use our time. If we choose to usually have fast food or instant meals, it can reveal a lot about a person’s lifestyle. It can also show how much time a person has available to prepare or eat their meals.
For a time, I used to prefer eating fast food, street food, or canned food. It was a time when I didn’t know much about cooking or could afford to prepare home-cooked meals all the time. And I did not have time for it either. We may not notice it, but the food we eat reveals a lot about who we are and the kind of life we currently have.
Food choices can also reflect a person’s economic status. The food we choose might be the only type of food we can afford and not due to personal taste. Some people see food as a way to survive. Others use it to show their social status. Eating at expensive restaurants or buying high-end food items becomes proof of that.
Culinary Skills
The food we prefer can also reveal something about our culinary skills. There are certain types of food that we like because those are the types of food that we can prepare ourselves. It is what we’re used to and because we can make it ourselves we end up learning to like them. In that way, The ones we can prepare can also reveal how good (or bad) we are in the kitchen!
Tastes
The food we like reveals a person’s taste preferences. We reveal whether we like salty sweet or spicy in the type of food we like to eat.
How Social We Are
With Filipino culture being social, the way we prepare food reflects a lot of that. Food is often served for a big group instead of per plate for individuals the way other cultures do. Filipinos love to gather around food. Almost all social situations for Filipinos revolve around a lot of it.
The best example of how social Filipino culture is in one way we eat our meals: the concept of the boodle fight. People gather around the table covered with banana leaves to eat food placed in the middle of the table. That sense of a meal together is different from other nations. It shows how important food is to Filipino culture.
Personal Values and Food
Sometimes the food we eat also shows our values. Are we conscious about the environment and prefer food from sustainable sources? Do we eat only food that is ethically farmed or sourced? Our reason for choosing certain types of food reflects these types of values.
Another thing food can reveal about our values is if we use food as our love language. If we use it to prepare food for the people we love, it shows how much we care for these people because of the effort we put in. Even the act of buying and gifting other people food can show how much we care about the people we are giving them to.
Food is a love language in my family. We prepare special food for our family during special occasions to celebrate. We make sure that our loved one’s favorites are part of their day when it matters the most. We cook food to make our loved ones happy because we love sharing food.
This is not something we often think about, but our food choices share more about us than we are aware of. Try to make a list of the foods you like. Then think about why you like them. It might surprise you about what it can say about you. Why don’t you give it a try and see what you discover about yourself?
What do you think of the list of things that food can tell someone about you? Do you agree with what I’ve shared? Are there other things that I forgot to mention? Tell me what you think and let me know how much your favorite food revealed about who you are in the comments! I would love to hear from you!
Here is the Fandesals Podcast episode mentioned earlier. Give it a listen if you can understand Tagalog (or Taglish, since the podcast is a mix of Tagalog and English). If you like the episode, give it a like or send the Fandesals a comment on their socials!
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