Just had chicken. I think. I mean, the sign on the tray said (not really said.. you know what I mean) Jerk Chicken, and they cooked it, so I think they would know what they had turning in the pot. But when I was eating it, the top tasted jerky (jerkish?), which was expected, but the part close to the bone was like mush and sludge on my tongue.
And we do this thing when we're eating, we eat with the idea of the taste of the food, and unless the food tastes really bad, most times we're not even aware of the real taste. Especially if we're hungry, boy, that food just goes down, barely chewed. Hungry or distracted, like having a conversation, or reading, or looking at The Closer.
But today, I suddenly became aware of the mess I was chewing, and I felt the texture on my tongue, and I searched for the taste, the loveliness of the food that would send me back for more... but it was not there. What was there was nothing.
I remembered that scene in The Matrix in the restaurant, when what's his name was speaking with Agent Smith about the taste of food, and the other scene when Mouse (?) was expounding to Neo about chicken tasting like everything (or everything tasting like chicken). The chicken I was eating tasted like NOTHING. And I began to wonder why I was eating it. Why?
It was public food. I didn't cook it. It was mass-produced. Was it cooked with love or profit in mind? They didn't know the names of the people coming to purchase and eat; neither their names nor likes nor dreams nor worries nor regrets nor joys. Why do we eat out, anyway? Convenience? Laziness? Indulgence?
sigh...
It tasted like nothing. I'm filled up on nothing. I'm filled up.
And we do this thing when we're eating, we eat with the idea of the taste of the food, and unless the food tastes really bad, most times we're not even aware of the real taste. Especially if we're hungry, boy, that food just goes down, barely chewed. Hungry or distracted, like having a conversation, or reading, or looking at The Closer.
But today, I suddenly became aware of the mess I was chewing, and I felt the texture on my tongue, and I searched for the taste, the loveliness of the food that would send me back for more... but it was not there. What was there was nothing.
I remembered that scene in The Matrix in the restaurant, when what's his name was speaking with Agent Smith about the taste of food, and the other scene when Mouse (?) was expounding to Neo about chicken tasting like everything (or everything tasting like chicken). The chicken I was eating tasted like NOTHING. And I began to wonder why I was eating it. Why?
It was public food. I didn't cook it. It was mass-produced. Was it cooked with love or profit in mind? They didn't know the names of the people coming to purchase and eat; neither their names nor likes nor dreams nor worries nor regrets nor joys. Why do we eat out, anyway? Convenience? Laziness? Indulgence?
sigh...
It tasted like nothing. I'm filled up on nothing. I'm filled up.
Funny and thought provoking at the same time. O.o
ReplyDeleteToday I bought and ate three mini pizzas, I don't know why, maybe I thought it was a bargain to get them at five dollars each. I was hungry but had the option of real food.
But still I bought them. They had texture, but in light of the fifteen dollars I spent, there wasn't much substance.
I've some questions for myself after reading your post.