JMHO, but, once again, what's "good" eating, or "decent" eating? Don't you think we all have different definitions of that? I doubt few, if any, people think to themselves, "Hmmmm, that looks like some really bad food; I think I'll have some!" :) (Actually, that reminds me of an old "Catskills" joke where a person complains that the food is terrible and the portions are too small.) <BR><BR>To one person, good eating may be only in Michelin-starred restaurants, to another meals in simple osterias, and to yet another a sandwich put together with items from various markets.

Russ - <BR><BR>Your reference to your friend's lunch habits as being "sad" is the primary thing that makes you sound so arrogant. Taking pity on someone that way is not a benign observation - it is, by definition, passing judgment.

JMHO,<BR>Are the food-as-fuel types really, as you say, implying "I'm not interested in food, therefore I am better than you" ?<BR><BR>Are the foodies saying, "I am a gastronomical *artiste* therefore I am better than YOU" ?<BR><BR>What a shock, people have opposite views. Is this what the debate is about, one side one-upping and dissing the other? Let's play nice. You're pink, I'm green. I think everyone has explained their feelings very well.<BR><BR>

Some of my best travel memories involve food. Whether its the weird "eggs mayonnaise," my kids had to try in Ireland or the night I got drunk and ordered a second dinner of mussels, or having to try the blue gelato called "puffa," in Perugia. Those kinds of things are what make a foreign vacation unique and memorable. I can't imagine travel without also planning and appreciating all the great meals.<BR>

Food and enjoying the time at a restaurant when we travel is a main priority for our family. We love to cook and to try new cuisines. I think that food is one of the primary ways that a cultural group expresses who they are.

So... is food important or not? Do we live to eat or eat to live?

Thank you Faina! Brilliant as always :)
I was looking for this yesterday but could not remember the title!

Not only fun to see the discussion repeat itself but also to see the names and posts of formerly active fodorites. Thanks for resurrecting.

At home, live to eat. (pleasure principle)

On vacation, eat (local food) to live. (I can't to think I'm missing a great street scene while my four-course meal drags on!)

OP,to some extent I am worried about food.Personally I am going to visit China soon,and as far as I know,Chinese cuisine consists almost all things walking or able to move.I'm terrified of the fact that I will eat a dog's flesh or some reptile unknowingly.Hope it won't happen !

Speaking about Italy for example,personally I am used to eat vegetables salad as breakfast with white cheese and bread .I went to the supermarket in Rome and there were no vegetables or fruits at all,only a big variety of pastas .I'm not used to such a food .Another example is the American food,one day I was obliged to eat an American breakfast.I took the spoon and put its edge in my mouth very very carefully trying to taste some blend of cereals and milk.Sorry,I could not bear it.I am just not used to it.I preferred to stay hungry !
Summing up,I don't think that I will visit a place because of its food,it doesn't even occur to my mind,but unlike the OP ,I don't eat just for the purpose of not being hungry.Food has some importance to me !

Why is food important?

Because taste is one of only five senses we have and to ignore your sense of taste is like travelling blindfolded or with ear plugs in place and then arguing that you didn't have time to see or hear.

Because food and the appreciation of food is one of the great unifying facts of the human condition. Civilization exists because of food. Because farming was a surer supply of food we stopped roaming as hunter gatherers. Because we wanted to insure rain for our crops we invented Gods to pray to for rain and developed science to understand the best time to plant our crops. Know what people eat and how they go about getting and preparing their food and you have the beginning of understanding of their culture.

Because food brings people together, as family, as friends, and people with a common need and common desire. &quot;Eat bread and salt and speak the truth&quot; is an old Russian homily. Breaking bread together is the harbinger of peace and understanding. People are at ease when they eat and a cafe or restaurant meal is an opportunity to slip into conversations with strangers. I have met new friends in noodle shops in Shanghai and bistrots in Paris with conversations that began with food and that would never have happened had I been sitting alone in my hotel room eating peanut butter and crackers.

That's why.

&gt;I'm terrified of the fact that I will eat a dog's flesh or some reptile unknowingly.&lt;

What difference does it make if it tastes good?

Don't ask what it is. :)

&gt;I can't to think I'm missing a great street scene while my four-course meal drags on!&lt;

That's why they have outdoor cafes. :)

((I))