I’ve been captivated lately by the volume of eating etiquette videos online. My initial reaction is of casual dismissal. Why complicate something as simple as eating? This disregard, however, is constantly challenged by an evergreen belief in the charm of ancient wisdom. While it feels almost certain that many of the etiquettes we have inherited have colonial roots, my belief in old wisdom compels me to look for a connection between these refined practices and the fundamental teachings of our shared past.

What truly intrigues me isn’t the etiquette itself, but what lies unseen behind the action. Consider the elaborate process of eating a banana with a fork and knife: the peel meticulously removed with the blade, only then to savor the fruit. Here, I don’t just see a specific action, I see the investment of time. This very element, the deliberate slowness, is a common thread in almost all highly formalized eating etiquette, and it’s this aspect that fascinates me.

Ancient wisdom, in its own form, consistently urges us to eat with full awareness, to savor each bite slowly, to thoroughly chew the food until it’s almost liquefied before it reaches our stomach. There is emphasis on engaging all our senses and being present with our meal.

It’s this connection that leads me to believe, in some way, somewhere, and somehow, that the formation of these seemingly “civilized” etiquettes might indeed stem from the ancient wellsprings of wisdom. As the saying goes, “good habits are the doors to a great life.” Perhaps these formalized eating practices were, at their core, a codification of these very principles.

The “someway, somewhere, and somehow” where this connection might have been obscured, I believe, lies in the pervasive reach of colonial influences and their monopolizing access to abundance, knowledge, and even wisdom.

Enjoy the apple!