There is no love sincerer than the love of food

Cultural diversity makes the world a much more interesting place in which to live for all of its inhabitants. If we all thought alike, went to school with only our village mates, spoke our own language just among the few, imagine how boring the world would be! Just think how boring a meal would be without Chinese, African, Mexican, Japanese, Italian, German, French or Indian food! Diversity is nothing more than a difference from the majority. Food is only one aspect of cultural traditions, yet it is probably one of the most persistent. Food plays an inextricable role in our daily lives. Without food we cannot survive. But food is much more than a tool of survival. Food is a source of pleasure, comfort and security. Food is also a symbol of hospitality, social status, and religious significance. What we select to eat, how we prepare it, serve it, and even how we eat it are all factors profoundly touched by our individual cultural inheritance. Various foods are given symbolic and even transformative connotations, and there is still no shortage of publications promising that a "magic food" will alleviate pain, increase sexual function, and promise almost everything but life after death. The ability to control one's appetite, in many aspects of life, but especially regarding food, may also be indicative of social status, and more recently is seen as critical for health and longevity. Even a cursory glance at diets around the world reveals the strange fact that people do not only eat what is available, they eat only what they consider to be edible. What is considered a delicacy in one area and by one group may be considered an abomination by others. There is no love sincerer than the love of food, and in food we embrace our diversified cultures of the world and this creates a co-existance between us.