Happiness is edible: Why happiness also comes from our relationship with food
/
Photo by We the Creators on Unsplash
In Mexico, as well as in various countries around the world, there are endless proverbs articulating the relationship between food and well-being. El amor empieza en el estómago (Love starts in the belly). Barriga llena corazón contento (A full belly makes the heart happy). El agua separa a la gente del mundo y el mezcal las une (While water separates people around the world, mezcal brings them together). Las penas con pan son menos (Troubled times with bread are lesser).
I certainly come from a country where, as Paul Rozin (personal communication, December 17, 2013) expressed, food and eating are not only thought of in terms of what they do to you, but also as joyful and bonding activities that contribute to our well-being.
Historically, there has not been much research in the field of positive psychology explaining the role of food in the good life. Positive psychology doesn't seem to consider this relation as a very significant one, or at least, not as significant as other elements traditionally inherent to this field (P. Rozin, personal communication, December 17, 2013).
However, according to Wellness Tourism Worldwide (2013), more people are looking for food experiences that speak to the emotional, social, intellectual, and sustainable aspects of their well-being. My personal experiences reveal that consumers and even producers are no longer satisfied with the mere quality of a product; they are looking for something that impacts them in a more memorable and meaningful way, particularly after having gone through a pandemic that caused restrictions of all kinds and made us reflect on the health of the environment.
Food can no longer be seen solely as something that fulfills a nutritional and physiological function. It should be regarded as a holistic experience: a catalyst of positive emotions, a reminder that we are not separate from nature but united with it, and a bonding element between people.
Interestingly, some organizations already understand it that way. That is the case of Bobo Wines, a wine company whose purpose is to make the lives of its consumers more enjoyable. For this reason, they include recommendations for sound pairings with their wines, creating a pleasant experience by facilitating the choice of purchasing a wine and recommending a specific playlist for it.
Local producers of Mezcal Aislados, from Caltepec, Mexico, make mezcal—a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the agave plant—honoring the traditional process. They respect sustainable production practices that express the diversity of flavors of their terroir (the natural environment in which mezcal is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate) while promoting preservation activities of the agave plant (the main raw material for mezcal production).
Félix, one of those local producers said once to me in an interview a couple of years ago, “What motivates us to produce Mezcal besides money and our personal sense of accomplishment is the possibility to reduce environmental impact, contribute to the regeneration of our land, inspire others through our stories, and focus on the common good of our town.”
The most popular street-taco makers in Mexico are known because of the way they relate with their customers; they know their names, their dreams, and their sorrows. They become icons in their community. They engage in amicable conversations, give advice when needed, and are missed when they are gone.
Approximately 10 years ago in Cancun, Mexico, I encountered a taco stand along the highway while driving towards Playa del Carmen to attend a business meeting, which I had scheduled early that morning. That small stand was very crowded. Most customers were tourist guides and bus drivers getting ready to start their long work journey in this dynamic Mexican paradise. Since the place was so packed, I figured it would be a great place to have good tacos, even if I had not eaten there before.
I pulled over, got out of my car, and while walking toward the taco stand, I realized I had forgotten my wallet at home. I had only 40 Mexican pesos with me (equivalent to 4 USD at the time). I was very hungry, and I was not sure whether I had enough money to satisfy my appetite. This sparked an enlightening conversation with the taquero, the cook who makes tacos.
Me: “Hi there, could you please tell me how much each taco costs?”
Taquero (looking at me strangely): Sorry?
Me: “Well, listen, I forgot my wallet at home, I have just 40 pesos, and I don't want to eat more tacos than what I can afford. That's why I ask.”
Taquero: “My friend, but I am not here for that.”
Me: “I´m sorry, what?’”
Taquero: “Yes, I am not here for that.”
Me: “Sorry, I still don't get it, what do you mean?”
Taquero: “I mean, don’t worry about it. I am not here to sell tacos. I am here to make sure all of my customers eat well and go to work feeling happy. It doesn't matter if you don't have enough money. Eat as much as you want, no problem. You may stop by some other day and pay me the rest.”
For me, there isn't a better example of what meaning is all about. This taquero experiences and promotes happiness through his wonderful tacos. They are not an end in themselves, but a means to an end. His tacos are basically the way through which he makes his customers feel taken care of, valued, and satisfied. It felt that way to me, for sure!
I have had the opportunity to live in three different countries other than my own: Spain, France and the United States. I regularly found myself missing Mexican food almost as much as I missed my friends and family. And now that I am back in Mexico, I also find myself longing for the extraordinary moments and the people I shared a meal with during my time abroad.
“If I’m interested in making good memories, I try unique and good food.”
I have come to realize that food is not only about taste and nutrition, but also about the memories that it creates in our minds and in our hearts. Moreover, it provides us with a sense of belonging toward our land and our people, which contributes so much to our well-being (Brown et al., 2013).
Erik Wolf, founder and Executive Director of the World Food Travel Association, could not explain it better. In his words, “a gastronomic experience gives individuals, friends, and family a time to learn about cultures and food, connect to their food source, and engage with each other while breaking bread and having a wonderful time” (Wellness Travel Worldwide, 2013).
How does food connect with your emotions? How does it help you connect with the people you care about? And how does it connect you with nature? The answers you give to these questions might reveal something about how happy you are.
Well, I think I’ll leave it here, I am getting a bit hungry… I guess I will go get a chunk of happiness!
References
Brown, L., Edwards, J. & Hartwell, H. (2013). Eating and emotion: Focusing on the lunchtime meal, British Food Journal, 115(2–3), 196–208. https://doi.org/10.1108/00070701311302186
Rozin, P. (1999). Preadaptation and the puzzles and properties of pleasure. In D. Kahneman, E. Diener, & N. Schwarz (Eds.), Wellbeing: The foundations of hedonic psychology. (pp. 3–25). Russell Sage.
Wellness Tourism Worldwide. (2013, October 29). Top 10 wellness travel trends for 2014. [Press release]. http://www.wellnesstourismworldwide.com/press-releases.html
About the author | Luis Pineda (C’14) is a speaker and corporate trainer who helps people and organizations from Mexico and other Latin American countries create happiness ecosystems and perform better. He has a bachelor’s degree in Hotel & Tourism Management from UDLA Puebla in Mexico; an MBA from ESADE Business School in Barcelona, Spain, and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Last year, he completed a Specialization in Food Design and Innovation from CENTRO University in Mexico City. His passion for gastronomy and traditional mezcal (an agave spirit originally from Mexico) has led him to explore firsthand the origin and impact of this ancestral beverage.
Luis obtained a Diploma in Agaves and Mezcales of Mexico in 2018, which led him to be appointed as a “Promoter of the Mezcal culture.” He also got the certificate as “Sensory Evaluator of Mezcal” by the Mezcal Sensory Institute of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Luis has also served as a jury in the National Mezcal Brands Competition 2022 organized by the Mexican Academy of Mezcal.
Currently, Luis is incorporating food experiences and mezcal tastings for his corporate clients in Mexico and abroad, trying to foster contexts of happiness, enjoyment and awareness in people and their environment through this kind of food happenings.
