Food Pleasure Paper Example

Introduction

It is important to understand that food pleasure is the sensation of human beings that come from the fulfilment of a natural character. It should be noted that two major essential elements are involved in food pleasure. The two are psychological and emotional tension that is created by the initial desire or impulse and the subsequent consummation of that inner want. Therefore, food pleasure corresponds to two basic needs of life, sustenance and replication. Also, it is worth noting that along the food pleasure requirements, two different aspects interconnect, that is the external and internal. The pleasure that emanate from within is derived from the need to satisfy the basic necessity for human existence while pleasure from outside relates to the means of achieving the needed satisfaction. Senses connect all these two areas. It cannot be denied that eating pleasure has enormous existential significance when met with the problem of living experience or sensation. This pleasure category belongs to a given area of senses that is regarded as primal and basic to happiness concepts. In Greco Roman culture, it was consummated within the Greek symposium, where the primal culture was associated with the platonic way of communicating ideas. Alternatively, this could be explained as the connection of spiritual pleasure with physical pleasure. It cannot be denied that even the biblical book of Ecclesiastes confirms this conclusion that pleasure of eating and the pleasure of friendship are found to be the only alternatives to human beings to the pride of existence. The paper aims to give discussions on food pleasure by looking at significant areas of concern like food production. The relationship that exists between pleasure and culture will also be discussed as well as how food pleasure is depicted in different cultures. Lastly, the paper will discuss how the brain coordinates eating and how food pleasure is created in the process.

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Berry Wendell's arguments on food pleasure

Considering his argument concerning food pleasure, Berry reminds those who are eating on how their lack of knowledge on food production has made them passive consumers who have no idea about the food they consume or even their part in the agricultural production. He argues that these eaters are blindsided by a food industry that does not help them understand their situation. Wendell puts it that the average consumer purchases available food without asking any question (Berry 126). Berry argues that consumers think they are far away from agriculture because they can easily obtain food, making them unaware of the cruel and harsh conditions that the food went through to get into the store. He posits that people have been enslaved by the food industry and regard eating as merely what they need for survival. Berry argues that this notion should change as people should realize the importance of working hard in the agricultural fields so that respect can be accorded to eating the food, not just for pleasure, but as a meaningful process that is attended to achieve satisfaction. With the idea of farming and its difficulties, human beings will have respects while eating food. Wendell uses the value of a dream home to mock consumers how they do not realize the whole process that production of food undergoes, and they do not care even going to purchase it, but would instead enjoy selecting from a list of available products from the television.

In his argument, Berry states that most urban consumers assume that the foods that they consume are all produced from farm yet they have no single idea of the type of farm the products came from. He further observes that these people do not even understand and know the process in which these foods were produced (Berry 127). It should be noted that from Berry's arguments, these industrial consumers or eaters no longer recognize the connection that exists between eating and the land, and hence, they are poised to be suffering from some cultural amnesia which is observed to be dangerous and misleading. From his argument, it cannot be denied that most of the vegetables eaten there by industrial consumers at the urban centres are mostly produced in huge monoculture and are solely dependent on some toxic chemicals (Berry 126). On the other hand, the animals consumed in urban areas are exposed to zero grazing or very close confinements are majorly depend on antibiotics as well as other drugs which urban consumers have no knowledge about and therefore, they do not find pleasure in the food they eat but instead expose their lives to grave danger. It should be agreed that for decades now, industrial food economy like large farms, fast food restaurants, and supermarkets only care about volume of foods they receive and not their quality.

Berry echoes that various economies have increased scale intending to increase production volume in a bid to reduce the costs of these products. Wendell puts it that with the increase in scale, there would be a decline in diversity and this would lead to a decrease in the health status of the people, and this will require drugs and other chemicals, and this will lead to deterioration of human health (Berry 127). In his words, Berry believes that the most critical section of food pleasure is anchored in a person's consciousness of the lives and the worlds from which the food originates and hence the pleasure of eating is the best standard available of the health of the people. It is worth noting, however that this eating pleasure is only available to urban eaters who are ready to make the necessary effort.

Understandably, the superiority of eating pleasure over other pleasure forms is self-evident. This is because it is connected to needs that are long term and very important, involving the whole lifespan, right from breastfeeding to the final moments of human existence. It should be understood that in human beings, the pleasurable need for eating is daily renewed. Also, since human beings are omnivorous, sensory stimulation must be varied infinitely to comply with such a pleasurable experience. As discussed later in the paper, this rationale cooperates with hedonism so that fantasy can develop its full potential. As a result, emanates the common expression of generating the need for pleasure which can also be referred to as creating pleasure out of necessity. Therefore, it is worth noting that pleasure is one of the significant rewards for eating food.

In the pleasure of food, the initial signal comes in need to eat. Afterwards, the senses of the body will direct the person to a means for satisfying this need. The last thing created will be distention during the act of eating itself. However, it is worth noting that this act becomes more complicated than just satisfaction. This is because the stimulation that is derived from food directly intervenes in the want to eat to the point of provoking the act of eating. It cannot be denied that the pleasure of eating has evolved into an art of food consumption, with the intention of containing, drawing out as well as directing a more concentrated and focused way the primal requirement of nourishment. It is true that the need for satisfying the senses and for satiety perform an unquestionable role in the pleasure of eating. Besides this, social as well as human contexts are also part of this. From this different sensation that is evolved, the perceived connection between pleasures of eating and the food source and various cultural ideas are all are also mentioned.

Pleasure and Culture

As opposed to the popular belief, the main factor in the importance of food pleasure does not result from the various food tastes that are produced in a given area, but it is mainly derived from the cultural contexts in which they are produced (Civille 1488). Like for example, it would be true that it is not the flavor of an orange which is homegrown that pleases, but the idea that it is homegrown that will please. This is a cultural value. It is true that taste is either biological or chemical while food pleasure is perceptional. In as much as pleasure derived from the act of eating is unquestionable, its significance also competes with other forms of pleasure. As later discussed, the availability of time, relationship with other forms of pleasure, its ritualistic value as well as its connection to health all help in the definition of hedonistic role (Civille 1490).

It is important to note that the excess amount of food that is available creates a problem in determining and selecting the preparation line that an individual should follow with a given a choice, this is one reason for the creation of recipe book. It is true that all these can lead to an increase in the pleasure of creativity in the kitchen but not the real act of eating. It has been observed that in cultures where sources of nutrition are quite limited, exhibit a realization that consumption has to take place as fast as circumstance and time will permit. As observed in primitive cultures, gathering, hunting, and even eating all day way a necessity (Hofmann 94). Therefore, in those cultures, the potential for pleasure was mainly in the act of daily nourishment, even if it was just a single meal in a pot.

It is true that appreciating the determining component in pleasure requires analysis of all factors that intervene in the refinement as well as culinary expression of food. Therefore, complex or unusual food preparation methods not supported by any other reason, the inclusion of things like additives as well as spices that are unusual ingredients, hedonistic, and the stimulating beverages like liquor and wine are elements which are associated with food pleasure (Hofmann 94).

Food pleasure in different cultures

As observed in most Asian islands especially Japan, visual elaboration of food to some art has been developed. Notably, greater emphasis has been labelled on the importance of tastes in most continental cultures. Also, in the coastal region cultures which have a mild climate, herbs and spices are used to magnify the food aroma. (Sneijder et al. 112). However, as observed in most industrialized nations, closely managed food production, as well as fixed times of eating, have interfered with food pleasure as people rely on packaged or precooked foods. In as much as this practice has helped to promote the growth in the food industry, the food pleasure elements that would have derived from the time eating and preparation are reduced. For example the infinite ranges of elaborate desserts that are available in almost all cultures. It should be understood that food pleasure is changeable, and an intrinsic contradiction originates from the fact that even popcorn from in a microwave that is consumed in front of television appears pleasurable.

It is important to note that human beings have their values attached in food and alcohol, which for some individuals is a kind of actual addiction, like chocolate, while for others it appears to be a natural aspect of the extended experience in food (Donati 230). The food experience involves such things as using wine as an aperitif before eating. It is true that wine is not very necessary in deriving pleasure for food, as this is easily observed in most cultures that prohibit the consumption of alcohol. What should be known is that pleasures are a cultural aspect, and in a situation where alcohol is viewed as part of the eating pleasure, it is used to enhance it.

Another thing that has evolved to become most hedonistic is the evening meal even though the motives leading to this type of food pleasure may be varied like celebrations, romantic engagements, and or business gatherings (Donati 236). As mentioned earlier, the classical symposium of the Greeks has been anticipated by hotels and restaurants, especially meals that were used for rituals. An example...