DORNBRACHT - Butterfly Trading

DORNBRACHT the SPIRITof WATER A new view on food
A NEW
VIEW
ON FOOD
Editor Stephan Sigrist
Photography Thomas Popinger
The stage of development of a society determines
human experience. The significance and perception
of time, work, health, interpersonal relationships
and also food culture alter.
This change depends on the underlying social
conditions and technological possibilities. Today
there are hardly any areas of life that are not
affected by technological progress. Travel, communication,
the healing of disease, all are hardly
conceivable any more without technological
assistance. Eating plays a special role in this
interaction between man and technology.
In fact the product range in supermarkets is characterised
by a growing number of high-tech
foods. At the same time food, through its actual
function as a “means to life” has a strong emotional
connotation. What we eat affects our
health and our state of mind. Taking in nourishment
is one of the key elements of metabolism;
food provides the elements which the organism
requires to maintain our vital functions. Food
penetrates our innermost being, providing energy
and the raw materials for life. Taking in nourishment
is essential to keeping us alive but it
transcends the mere physiological function.
This “metaphysical” significance of food and
eating corresponds with the symbolic value of
the kitchen.
The kitchen plays a special role as the place
where food is stored and prepared and as the
place for eating together.
If the kitchen was the natural heart of family
life in days gone by, then in post-modern times
its facilities have diversified. As a mark of the
return to the authentic, the kitchen has been revalued:
as a place where the preparation of food
can be a sensual experience and the aesthetics
050
of food are linked to the beauty of form and
material. And so the kitchen regains its former
magic.
Food is the emotional and cultural foundation
of human existence and is of immense significance,
over and above ethnic and political boudaries.
What we eat defines us as a person, but not
only as an individual; food is also a mirror of
society, its maxims, its dreams and fears. Eating
and drinking have always played a prominent
role in the cultural history of mankind. The ritual
of eating is a social activity and marks the
crucial stages along life’s path: christening,
marriage or burial are subject to culinarymythological
symbolism underlining the extraordinary
value placed on communal eating.
Food is a cultural commodity, in which at least
as much attention is paid to the preparation of
food as to its appearance. The choice of food
and the way in which it is consumed defines our
personal lifestyle.
In the 21 st century the appearance of what we eat
is geared, not primarily to the symbolic content
of its spiritual significance as it was previously,
but to the new core values such as aesthetics,
activity or health. Food has become a “lifestyle”
accessory. In an environment where all our
health needs are met, where the person as an
individual is becoming ever more important,
food too is increasingly becoming the self-realisation
of the individual. Deficit needs are being
replaced by development needs, an “economy of
needs” is becoming an “economy of desire”. We
can no longer imagine food without pleasure.
The significance of appearance is more important
than ever in this new context, aptly expressed in
the saying “we eat with our eyes”. The erotici-
sing of the mundane has increased significantly
in recent years and influences our expectations
of life. Sensual seduction and the promise of
desire are all around us and accompany us in
our everyday private and professional lives. The
willingness to do without is a thing of the past;
the hedonistic concept of achieving “desire”
through “undesire”, has given way to the maxim
of permanent desire gain. The well-being of the
masses, a consequence of industrialisation, has
led to increased expectations of desire and permanent
happiness in many consumers.
In the wake of growing complexity of both private
and professional life people are increasingly
seeking simplicity and guidance. So-called
“convenience products”, “ready-to-eat” meals
therefore enjoy growing demand. At the same
time consumers want authenticity, freshness,
health and products with a longer shelf life. In
summary, three trends are observed: functionalisation,
meaning the “adding of value” to food
with additional benefits such as health, authenticity
and “convenience”. The synthesis of these
trends gives rise to a new holistic concept of
food. Thus in the last few years innovations in the
food market have often meant creating products
which combine health, pleasure, experience or
an ethical value. This is in line with the growing
need amongst consumers to organise their food
harmoniously. In view of the increased demands
on a work-life balance and individual time
management, health, pleasure, mind and environment
are to be harmonised with one another.
Examples of the food of the future are the small,
fast and simple ready meals, the biological product
with emphasis on the health aspect or
“functional food” in the practical “convenience
“Food between high-tech and authenticity” // “Alimentazione tra high-tech e autenticità” //
“La comida, entre la alta tecnología y la autenticidad”
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