Recently I re-heard a Fresh Air interview with Grant Achatz , the famous avant-garde chef who lost his sense of taste to cancer and then got it back. It’s a fascinating interview and if you have a half-hour, take a listen. At his latest restaurant Alinea, in Chicago, you’re likely to see 20+ courses cross your placemat; 23 tiny, tiny, two- to three-bite courses. Achatz is playing with the concept of diminishing returns. In the interview, he says that the first two to three bites of food are all you really notice; by bite five, you’re probably eating just to clear the plate. It’s a cool idea – tiny bits of taste to titillate the tastebuds – but it also put me in mind of its opposite, the slow food movement. From the Slow Food Austin website: “We believe in elevating the quality of our food and taking time to enjoy it as a simple way to infuse our daily lives with joy. We stand against the folly of fast life. “ Ahhh. Whereas I heard Achatz’s description of his many-mini-coursed meals and thought, Neat, but isn’t that food ADD?, I read about Slow Foods and felt myself relaxing.
There’s a famous mindfulness food exercise* that encourages focused attention on an everyday food. Pick up one raisin (if you don’t like raisins, try any other dried fruit) and try the steps below:
- See it. Get up close and look at the wrinkles, the folds and ridges. Notice where the light hits and where there is shadow.
- Touch it. Roll it around between your fingers and in the palm of your hand. Really feel it – texture , weight, moist- or dry-ness. Close your eyes while you do this.
- Smell it. Have you ever smelled a raisin? Do it. What happens in your mouth, in your mind, in your stomach?
- Place it. Notice how the raisin gets to your tongue, and where on your tongue it lands. Notice how hard it is not to immediately start chewing.
- Taste it. Chew slowly. Be aware of where you’re chewing, and again, how difficult it can be to not swallow right away. What does a raisin taste like? (Don’t you dare say “raisin!”)
- Swallow it. Have you been fighting the urge to swallow already? What does that need feel like? Does taste linger after swallowing? Do you want another?
Of course, you don’t have time to eat this way all the time, but use this exercise as a jumping off point, and see how your meals change, whether you’re eating filet mignon or beans and rice.
I have no beef with Achatz. Like I said before, it’s a cool idea. There’s a time and place for fast-paced food, for the excitement and intensity that 23 tiny, unusual courses can bring. I just think there’s more of a need to slow down, to pay attention to your life, and why not start with food? By bringing your mind deeper into each eating experience, you’re meeting not just your physical need for nutrition, but also your mental and emotional need to slow down and be aware.
*This exercise is adapted from the book, The Mindful Way Through Depression by Williams, Teasdale, Segal, and Kabat-Zinn
