M.F.K. Fisher: “When a man is small, he loves and hates food with a ferocity…”
Mar 10th, 2008 by Jill
“When a man is small, he loves and hates food with a ferocity which soon dims. At six years old his very bowels will heave when such a dish as creamed carrots or cold tapioca appears before him. His throat will close, and spots of nausea and rage swim in his vision. It is hard, later, to remember why, but at the time there is no pose in his disgust. He cannot eat; he says, ‘To hell with it!’” — M.F.K. Fisher, Serve It Forth
In the Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan talks about how “disgust” with food is our natural way of protecting ourselves from accidentally eating something that is bad for us. I wonder if our childhood disgusts are so strong for just that reason, and it takes time and context to out-learn those disgusts and even find delight on the other side of the discussion?