*Comfort Zones

After watching the file Tampopo, and reflecting on my own food behaviors, I realized that comfort zones are very prevalent in food. Have you ever found yourself at a favorite restaurant and ordering the same thing you always do? "Well I love it!" you might respond, and granted, that is probably true. But have you ever tried anything else on the menu? Most people would probably respond "no". It is our nature to hold onto what we like, and live inside this comfort zone that we have created around us. I am by no means trying to criticize, as I do to a wonderful Cuban sandwich place quite often and have the same sandwich every time, and every time I swear I'm going to try something different, but then resort back to my "old favorite". Even calling it my "favorite" is incorrect because I have never tried anything else there, and who knows, I might have several favorites if I branched out.

Some restaurants, which serve foreign food, will also have something on their menu which is not by any means traditional, but that they know is in this comfort zone. For example, in many Mexican restaurants, they offer cheeseburgers. I'm sure there's no kidding anyone that cheese burgers are from Mexico, but there are a few people, (a friend of mine being one of them), who will scan the menu of unfamiliar food, and choose the cheese burger, in all its comforting glory.

I believe we subside to these comfort boundaries because we are creatures of habit, and to break those bounds could mean a number of different bad outcomes. We could have hated what we tried, and then have wasted a meal on something not only unsatisfying, but regret not just sticking to what we know. "Oh, why didn't I just get what I always get, I know that would of been good."

There is something to be said though, for breaking the food comfort zones, and branching out to try something new and unfamiliar. I believe much of this happens traveling, although living in a country where we have food from all around the world at out finger tips, it can easily be done close to home as well. When I traveled in Turkey, a lot of what I ate was either ordered for me, or I pointed to a word I thought sounded nice. Had it all been in English, and each ingredient spelled out, I might not have been so open to trying as much as I did. But I had already left my comfort zone, and so my guard was down. You could of shoved just about anything in front of me, and as long of it wasn't staring back at me, I would of eaten it.

I have decided then, that I will go to the Cuban sandwich place this week, and I will order something different. I will not climb back into my comfort zone, but I will break free, and take a risk...