Beauty of a Feast

Food has long been regarded as a source of nutrition, growth, and life. However, food has become more than a necessity, and has evolved into a gateway to express culture and talent. It has evolved into an art that requires experience, discipline, and most of all talent. Art can be described as the act of creating a work of beauty or something more than ordinary. Today, food can be classified as art, and is not only judged on it taste but its appearance as well. While observing my photos, I realized that the beauty of food has become a highly esteemed quality in the dining community. Chefs put so much detail into creating food, but why? What does the quality of beauty mean to chefs and consumers? How do chefs use this beauty to express themselves and their culture? How has the preparation and making of food become a performing art all in its own? And how has the visible presentation of food evolved in our culture and society. With camera in hand, I ventured through Chapel Hill and used photographs to answer these questions.

Chapel Hill is considered a gourmet town, and highly values the quality of food created here. The appearance of food is a factor in determining that quality. A plethora of restaurants and shops line Franklin St., and many of them hold the beauty their creations in high esteem. Sugarland is a prime example of how beauty is incorporated into the establishment’s food. Cakes and cupcakes line the shelves of this gourmet sweet shop, all created to taste delectable, and all crafted to look magnificent. When asked, Sugarland Employees said. “We pride ourselves on the beauty and uniqueness of our creations, it helps us stick out from other shops. It makes us special.” The pastry chefs put extra work and effort into making their goods visibly appealing. My observations determine that through this process of making delectable food beautiful, chefs become true artists. The cakes here give consumers a personal and intimate bond with the chefs, and helps make a connection between consumers and producers. It is a chefs way of saying, “This is me, this what I create, and this is who I am.” My visit to Sugarland also showed me that food has become a way to express culture background, and interest. Many cakes that Sugarland chefs produce are crafted around a general theme or subject. Some cakes are embellished to represent sports teams such as the Chicago Cubs or the UNC Tar Heels, while others portray classic movies such as The Wizard of Oz. This allows chefs to express their own interests and favorites through the food that they create. Also, the wedding cakes that Sugarland prepares gives insight into our own culture and society. Many elegant, embellished, and extravagant wedding cakes line the shelves of Sugarland, and they supply many wedding cakes throughout the year. This shows how our culture uses food as a form of celebration and decoration. The nicer the wedding cake, the nicer a wedding will look and be. We as a society place great importance on the appearance of our food, especially in such an event as a wedding.

While other restaurants do not flaunt the artistic quality of their food as much as Sugarland, they hold the appearance and intricacy of their food in high regards. Two restaurants that exemplified this quality were Cypress on the Hill and Talulla’s. At Talulla’s I found that the food served was very intricate and that each part of the dish was placed in a certain way. Servers boast about the visible appeal of their food and the uniqueness of their culinary style. “Other Mediterranean restaurants cannot give you this type and quality of food. The recipes and our unique touch give the food a unique taste, and as you can see appearance,” explained a waiter. There, chefs pride themselves on their special recipes and the personal twist they put on their creations. They take pride in making their dishes a work of art. Consumers share this love and appreciation for the beauty of the meals. One customer stated, “I love coming here because the food is pretty and the appearance is amazing .I can enjoy a meal much more when it looks and tastes good.” Consumers value the appearance of their food and the more beautiful the food the greater the enjoyment. People tend to draw more pleasure from something if more than one of the senses are involved and pleased. Food is no exception.

Cypress on the Hill also exemplifies this quality. Their dishes, no matter how small or large, are designed to be visibly appealing. Certain sauces are added to embellish a dish, some ingredients add color and shape, and some main course meals are set up in a way that one may consider artistic. One customer claimed that, “It makes us feel somewhat special when we eat at restaurants like this. It’s like we are getting special treatment.” This is true for many customers who attend gourmet establishments. They get a sense of exclusivity and individuality when something as simple as their dinner is created and viewed as a work of art. Customers enjoy being treated extravagantly and love feeling privileged. The feeling that consumers get from gourmet food is exactly what draws them to these restaurants.

Customers, however, are not the only people who benefit from such culinary art. Chefs across the town, state, and country take pride and honor in their creations and expertise. One individual type of chefs exemplify these traits exceedingly well, and those are hibachi chefs. Not only do they prepare delicious food but they also do it in a magnificent fashion. I visited Kanki, a primo Japanese Hibachi Steakhouse, and found that one does not only get to enjoy a meal, but also have the honor of enjoying a spectacular performance. Chefs prepare ingredients, serve sauces, cook the food, and serve the meal itself all with flair and in an extravagant fashion. Everything from fireballs to skillful utensil tricks, Kanki chefs turn cooking into a performing art. These performing chefs take great value in what they can do. “It is a way to have fun and play, while doing something I love and I’m good at,” said one chef while doing a few tricks with his utensils. Another chef said, “I love it because it shows what my culture is like, the way my family has cooked food for many years. I feel like I am carrying a tradition.” This performance is more than just a spectacle, but a way for chefs to express themselves, their culture, and have a little fun too. Customers also enjoy the performance given by the chefs. A woman at my table said, “There is just something ‘bout watching them that makes me keep coming back. I love seeing how my food is cooked.” Many customers feel the same way. There is a more personal connection to the food and the consumer, because there is no wall between the preparation and the serving of the food. Hibachi chefs connect with their consumers through this amazing type of culinary performing art.

Food is a universal interest, universal necessity and everyone across the world can relate to how food affects us. It can satisfy our hunger, please our taste buds, and ,as I have found, can bring pleasure to our eyes. It is no doubt that food has become an art, and it is one that can be appreciated by both consumers and chefs. Chefs find expression, happiness, individuality, and uniqueness through their culinary masterpieces. We as consumers feel like we are getting special treatment, and have the chance to foster a stronger bond between the food we eat and the chefs who make it. Through these delicious works of art, we can all come together, food makers and food consumers alike, and become one group of food lovers. That is the true beauty of a feast.