Can food bring people closer?

Can food bring people closer?

I would argue that it’s not the food itself, but the effort involved in preparing, creating, sharing, and hosting that truly brings people closer together.

The food itself alone is never a source of joy for me. I mean it's a big factor but not the only factor!

Still clueless. Well, let's give you a small example: a gesture like holding the door for your guest who is perfectly capable of opening it themselves. Beautiful! Isn't it?

These small actions speak a thousand emotions. Whenever you are hosting a food event, thoughtful acts like setting a presentable table, putting in extra effort to ensure cleanliness, creating a beautiful ambiance, or setting up attractive lighting can make a significant difference. These efforts bring an extra touch of warmth and care. I would definitely feel valued and appreciated if someone is dear enough to do all this for me.

Whenever I get a chance, I capture these moments where hosts have created a truly welcoming and comfortable environment. More than food, sometimes it's the ambiance for me. Always that X-factor, the wow factor, which makes me truly happy.

I'm not advocating superfluous. Rather I'm totally against the idea of overdoing things. You don't have to prepare a large number of dishes to impress your guests. Personally, if I make too many dishes, the quality can suffer because my time and effort are spread too thin. Instead, I prefer to craft a masterpiece dish along with a few well-prepared side dishes.

And you definitely don't have to over exhaust yourself for the guests to the point where you greet them with a tired expression. Instead one can focus on increasing the quantity of the food. My mother always says, "If you make biryani, don't you dare make anything else with it except raita and salad. Or you will undermine the importance and tastefulness of biryani." She is not wrong though! Biryani is a delicacy meant to be savored alone. Adding curry or anything else is an insult to it. At most, you can have kebab with it, the shami kebab, not just meat kebab. (Apologies for going little going off track. I got carried away with the mention of this special dish).

_{Biryani is a flavorful and aromatic rice dish, typically made with basmati rice, spices, and either meat, fish, or vegetables. And Raita is a yogurt-based side dish, often mixed with chopped vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions, and seasoned with spices. It serves as a refreshing and cooling accompaniment to balance the spiciness of the biryani.}

I'm a great fan of those who set their table with a touch of craftiness. It's so exciting to see works of art like this. And of course, I appreciate the effort with all the beautiful words that come to mind. I always make it a point to compliment the host for the thoughtfulness that goes into their table spread, along with their delicious food.

I have so many memories of these gatherings captured in my camera. The table spreads from friends and family are truly special. The restaurants don't evoke the same amount of euphoria.

I've shared a few of these beautiful spreads with you. My post may not sound philosophical, but it's a reflection of those memories—the beautiful moments and the the sincere intentions behind them. After all, such efforts are reserved for those we truly care about.

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Edit: I reread my publication, as it's my habit to do so after posting, and it dawned upon me on the fifth or sixth read that I have not done justice to the title: "Can food bring people closer?"

My post only highlights one aspect of this headline, the hosting part. Well, food does bring people closer in so many other ways too. I won't delve into details of how! But recently, as I am on vacation at my parents' home, I feel it more than ever. I have been enjoying these family times with brothers, nephews, and nieces, and with my parents. All of us eating together at the table.

Just the other day, my dad got a little offended by the fact that we didn't wait for him for lunch. So we make sure to wait for him, although sometimes it means that we have lunch and dinner together in the evening. And then another round of snacking before sleeping that doesn't happen till sometime 4 am in the morning. Lol

It's true that these gatherings around the food table are the essence of our family meetups: the jokes being shared, the laughter, the endless teasing, and much more. So yes, food does bring people closer and in a very beautiful way.

_{My innovative dad carved my nephew's name with a knife just before he was about to cut his birthday cake. It was a simple affair, just within the family.}

_{All images are my property.}