BREAKING BREAD

EATING TOGETHER IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST SOCIAL STIMULANTS, AND A SHARED MEAL HOLDS THE POWER TO NURTURE THE SOUL

- ANTARAA CHATTERJEE

MY EARLIEST MEMORIES OF FOOD include hazy flashes of birthday parties where a homemade feast was shared with friends and family. Every anniversary, birthday and celebration would involve copious amounts of food being prepared from scratch at home seasoned with laughter.

When I started living on my own in college, the one thing that always pricked was that I usually had to eat alone, in haste, which eventually became a habit. It takes me up to the first shared meal to really open up with my companions when I'm travelling with a group now. I used to be conscious about eating in front of strangers, but I've learned that when you are able to eat with someone, real camaraderie has a chance to develop.

"I went on a solo trip to Spain last year," said Rini Chatterjee, a communications professional based in Delhi. "I'm a big foodie, so I want to eat everything, but when you're travelling solo, it becomes a pain."

Chatterjee recalled looking at the menu at Ganbara in San Sebastian and fretting over not being able to order too much. "Then I saw a gentleman sitting by himself, and I went up to him and asked him if he wanted to share a meal since I really wanted to try more than I could finish just by myself." The man, who was from Brooklyn, obliged. They both ordered three dishes each and ended up having a great meal and an even better conversation.

Growing up in Asian households, we all know that "acts of service" are the common love language, with food and cooking for each other taking precedence over verbal declarations.