KathrynHoltkamp

October31,2008
HistoryofNutritionandDieting

FromGodsandGoddessestotheFriendofaFriend:LetsDigest

FromthedivineambrosiaoftheGreekgodsandgoddessestotheurbanlegendof

thechickentumorsandwich,foodhasplayedavitalroleinhumanmythology.The

mythssurroundingfoodgobackasfarastheancientGreeksandhaveevolvedinmodern

daytoverydifferentkindsofstories.Itiseasytoseewhyfoodissooftenpresentin

manyancientandmodernmythssincefoodisourmainenergysource.Welovetohear

storiesinoldermythologyaboutfoodasdivinegiftsfromthegodsjustasmuchasweare

terrifiedtohearmodernurbanlegendsaboutfoodcontamination.Foodisourlifesource,

andstoriessurroundingfood,whethergoodorbad,haveaneffectonwhat,where,and

howweeat.

InancientGreekmythology,manyofthelegendsaboutfoodareverypositive.

Ambrosia,orfoodofthegods,ispresentinmanyofthosestories.Ambrosiawas

believedtoconferimmortalityuponmortalswhoweregivenitandpreservethe

immortalityforthosewhoalreadyresidedonMt.Olympus(Ambrosia).Ofcourse,this

foodwasnothingmorethananidealizedformofhoneyaccompaniedwiththewineof

thegods,alsoknownasnectar(Ambrosia).

Foodalreadygivesuslife,andthatisinterestingenough,buttheideaoffood

givingusimmortalityisfascinating.Onestoryofamortalbeinganointedwithambrosia

isthatofSarpedon,whowasoneofZeusillegitimatesonsaswellasawarrioronthe

Trojanside.Afterhisdeathinthewar,ZeuscalleduponApollotoanointhisbodywith
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ambrosiabeforeitwashandeditovertoSleepandDeath,bywhomitwasconveyedfor

burialtoLyciawhereasanctuarywaserectedinhonorofthefallenhero(Ambrosia).

MoreGreekmythologythatisrelatedtofoodhastodowiththeyearlycyclesofseasons

whenthefoodsupplyishigh.TheGreeks,insteadofusingsciencetoexplainthiscycle,

hadmyths.Inhisbook,HowWeEat,LeonRappoportspeaksonthisrelationship

betweenfoodandmyth:

Anthropologicalevidenceshowsthat,inallprimitivehumangroups,seasonal
variationsinplantlifeandanimalbehaviorswerethoughttobegovernedby
mysteriousforcesunderthefullorpartialcontrolofsundrygods,goddesses,and
spirits.(35)

Thisseemsobviousenoughwhenpeopleconsiderallthemythstheyhaveheardaboutthe

seasonschangingandthatbeingrelatedtoagodorgoddess.Butconsiderthis

possibility,perhapsthatmythyouheardisactuallytheoriginofthefoodyousoregularly

eataswell.

Manyfoodsthatweeatregularlyhavesomesortofmythologicalmeaningor

sacrednessaboutthem.Sacredbecause,forourprimitiveancestors,toconsume

somethingeithergivenby,orstolenfrom,thegodswastoparticipateinthecosmic

mysteriescontrolledbythesegods(Rappoport36).Take,forexample,aRomanmyth

thatwasborrowedfromtheGreekmythofDemeterandPersephone.Inthismyth,

though,DemeterhasbeenchangedtoCeres.Thestoryisessentiallythesame:Hades

kidnapsPersephone,andCeres,whoisPersephonesmother,isdevastatedbyher

daughtersabsence.Persephoneeatssixpomegranateseeds,oneforeachmonthin

whichshemustremainintheunderworld.Ceres,inhersearchforherdaughtereach

winterleavesbehindhergiftsintheformofseeds,whichlikeherdaughter,canonly
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emergeinthespring(Rappoport36).Thisstoryistheoriginofthewordcerealfrom

theRomangoddessoftheHarvest,Ceres.

TheGreekwordOrizameaningoriginallyfromAsia,becameourwordforrice.

Riceisanotherfoodwiththickandchewymythologicalmeaning.InSouthAsia,for

example,thegoddessKwanYinissupposedtohavedribbledherbreastmilkover

barrengrasses,whichthenyieldedwhiterice(Rappoport36).ThroughoutAsiariceis

believedtobeamythicsymboloffertility.Thethrowingofriceatnewlymarried

coupleseventodayispossiblyderivedfromthatancientbelief.Allthispositive

affluenceassociatedwithfoodandmythologyisenoughtomakesomeonewonder,

wheredidwegowrong?AroundthetimetheBiblewaswrittenthough,peoplesideas

aboutfoodinmythologychanged.Thisiswhenourfoodmythstookaturnforthe

terrifying.

IntheBiblicalstoryofAdamandEve,theheavyburdenoforiginalsinisplaced

uponEvesconsumptionoftheapple:

Andwhenthewomansawthatthetree[was]goodforfood,andthatit[was]
pleasanttotheeyes,andatreetobedesiredtomake[one]wise,shetookofthe
fruitthereof,anddideat,andgavealsountoherhusbandwithher;andhedideat.
(HolyBible,Gen.3.6)

AfterAdamandEveateofthefruit,theyrealizedthattheywerenakedandhid

themselvesfromtheLord.Heaskedthemiftheyhadeatenthefruit,AdamtoldFather

thatEvehadmadehimeatthefruit.BecausetheydisobeyedtheLordandateofthe

forbiddenfruit,theywerecastoutoftheGardenofEdenandforcedtosurviveontheir

own.Theywerealsoburdenedwiththepainofconception:
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AndIwillputenmitybetweentheeandthewoman,andbetweenthyseedandher
seedUntothewomanhesaid,Iwillgreatlymultiplythysorrowandthy
conception;insorrowthoushaltbringforthchildren;andthydesire[shallbe]to
thyhusband,andheshallruleoverthee.(HolyBible,Gen.3.1516)

Thisstoryisthestartofagreatturninfoodmythologyfromfoodprovidingspiritual

sustenance,tofoodbeingasourceoffear.WiththeGodfearingPuritans,camethe

BiblicalstoriesofAdamandEve,butalsotheterrifyingstoriesofwitches.Atthispoint

intime,foodmythsbegantotransformfrompositive,inspiringmyths,intofairly

modern,negativelegends.

OnewitchstoryweallknowandloveisthestoryofHanselandGretel.The

childrenarelostinthewoodsandleavebreadcrumbsontheirpathsotheycanfindtheir

wayback.Thelittlewoodlandcreaturesofcourseeatthesebreadcrumbs,andthe

childrenaresoonterriblydisoriented.Theythencomeacrossagingerbreadhouseinthe

woods.Temptedbytheprospectofsweetsandsugarsattheirfingertips,thelittleones,

withouthaste,runuptothehouseandbegintochowdown.Itisnotlongbeforetheold

witchwholivesinthathousecomesoutandtempsthechildreninside.Thisresults,as

everyoneknows,inthewitchtryingtocookplumplittleHansel.Thisstory,likesomany

witchstories,isdirectlyassociatedwithanegativefoodsymbol.Here,thefood

encrustedhouseisthelureforthewitchtogetthechildreninsideforhertoeat.Inmany

otherstoriesinvolvingtheevilwomen,poisonousapplesandwitchsbrewsareinvolved.

Wesoonbegintoseethetrendinfoodlegendsgravitatingtowardamorechillingkindof

fairytale.

Childhoodtalesofwitcheswantingtoeatchildrenbytemptingthemwithfood

aremostcertainlyscaryforafourorfiveyearoldchild,butmorecurrentmythsabout
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foodstrikefearintotheheartsofpeopleofallages.Theseculinaryurbanlegends

originateallovertheUnitedStatesandseemtohitmuchclosertohome.Ofallurban

legends,itsthefoodtalesthatinspirerealhorror(Genge320).Thesestoriesthatmany

peoplealreadyknowbyheartseemtooccurinneighboringtownsandtopeopleweknow

indirectly.Someofthesestoriesaredisgusting.Someofthemareappallingand

nauseatingeventothestrongestofstomachs.Soletsgetgoingwithacoupleofthem.

Togoalongwiththewitchtopicdiscussedearlier,thisfirststoryhastodowith

Halloween.ThisistheoldstoryoftheRazorbladesintheapple.Thisstoryhastodo

withparentsnotlettingtheirchildrentrickortreatatstrangershousesbecauseany

homemadeorunwrappedsweetcouldbecontaminatedwithallsortsofharmfulproducts.

Razorbladesandpinsorsewingneedlesinsertedinapplesarethemostfrequent

manifestationsofthislegendreportedinthemedia(Smithetal.131).Otherversionsof

thisstoryinvolvepopcornballs,cookies,oranyotherhomemadetreatthataretampered

withorevenpoisoned.Butwiththeapplestory,weagainseeatrendinafoodsymbol

thatoncemeantsomethingpositive,transformintoaverythreateningicon.Theapple,

ofcourse,istraditionallyassociatedwithHalloweeneventhoughitssymbolic

significanceoffertility,etc.haslargelybeenforgotten(Smithetal.132).Thiswasthe

startofthefoodurbanlegend.Thesecontemporarylegendsrangefromthe

bloodcurdlingtothestomachhurling.

Oneofmyparticularfavoritesandprobablyoneofthebetterknownlegendsis

theoldPoprocksandsodamyth.Poprocks,manufacturedbyGeneralFoods,are

smallsugarpelletstreatedwithcarbondioxidesothattheytingleor,inthewordsoftheir
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preadolescentconsumers,explodewhenputononestongue(Fine75).WilliamA.

Mitchell,aGeneralFoodsresearchscientist,inventedthepoppingcandiesin1975(The

Sleuth).IevenhadafascinationwiththesemysteriousPopRocksasasmallchild.I

wonderedwhatmadethempopsodelightfullyinmymouthandthroat.Somekids

believethatthecandyismadewithsomesortofacid(qtd.inFine75).Themythtold

bykidsisthatifoneeatsthesesugarfirecrackerswhiledrinkingasoda,impendingdoom

willcomeuponthechildfoolishenoughtohavebothcarbonatedtreatsatonetime.One

variationofthemythsaidthatMikey,ofthepopulartelevisionshow,MikeyLikesIt,

diedfromtoomanypoprocksinadeadlycombinationwithsoda:

LittleMikeyatesixbagsofPopRocksataparty.Hethenproceededtodrinka
sixpackofPepsi.Thetwosubstancescombinedinhisstomachandexploded,
killinghimhorribly.That'swhyPopRocksweretakenoffthemarketintheearly
eighties.(TheSleuth)

Ofcourse,thismythisnottrue.JohnGilchristwhoplayedMikeyisaliveandwell.Itis

true,though,thatPopRocksweretakenoffthemarketintheearlyeighties,butthecandy

waspurchasedbyKraftFoodsandarefoundinstoreseverywhere(TheSleuth).Imyself

havetriedtocrackthemyth,andIamstillstanding.However,thefearoftoomuch

carbonationcausingdeathispassedonandtoldtokidsalloverAmerica.Childrendo

notunderstandthemechanicsofPopRockstheycreateexplanationstoaccountforthe

candyseffectandsimultaneouslytowarnaboutthedanger(Fine75).Funnyhowwe

allknowtheselegends,butrarelydoweknowtheiroriginsordowequestiontheir

validity.IcertainlybelievedthisoneupuntilItestedandbustedit.

Anothersuchmyththatinvolvesprepackagedgoodieshastodowiththegreat

gum,BubbleYum.Thisgumwasverypopularinthe1970sbecauseitwasmarketedas
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thefirstsoftbubblegum.BeforeBubbleYumhitthemarketbubblegumswerehardto

chew(TheSleuth).Themythsurroundingthechewytreat,though,causedthegums

salestogodownslightly.ArumorspreadfromNewYorkCitywestwardthattherewas

asecretingredientthatmadethegumsosoftandchewy:spidereggs.Insomevariations

thetastygumcontainedspiderlegs.LifeSavers,theparentcompany,spenthundredsof

thousandsinadvertisingandpressreleasestocombattherumor(Genge324).But

prepackagedfoodsarenottheonlyvictimstorumorsandslander.

Manyotherfoodlegendshaveinsomewayarelationshiptobigbusiness.Just

astheindigenouspeopleoftheworldcomeupwithmythstoreflecttheirviewsofthe

world,thesemythsshowpeoplesopinionof20thcenturyAmerica(Genge260).

Asfewerandfewerofustakepartintheproductionandprocessingofthefood
weeat,weleavethisvitaltaskinthehandsoffacelessstrangersandcorporate
monolithsentitieswhomaynothaveourbestinterestsatheart(orstomach)
(Mikkelson).

Whenlargeanduncaringcorporationsarecontrollingourlifesource,Americansare

likelytocomeupwithstoriesthatjustifytheirdistrustofAmericanbigbusiness.These

storiesreflecttheconditionsofmodernityandraiseconcernsoftheage(Fine63).The

legendsoffastfoodcontaminationarealwaystakingplaceinaMcDonalds,aTacoBell,

aWendys,orsomeotherworlddominatingfastfoodchain.

OneofthesestoriesthatiswellknowninAmericaisthatofthechickentumor

sandwich.Thelegendgoesassuch:ayoungwoman,andthevictimofthesefastfood

storiesisnearlyalwaysawoman(Mikkelson),ordersachickensandwichfrom

McDonaldsorinsomeversions,aWendys.Sheasksthattheynotputmayoonher

sandwich.Shegetsherfoodanddigsin.Uponbitingintothesandwich,thereisa
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gooey,whitesubstanceleakingoutfrombetweenthebuns.Sheopensthesandwichand

findswhatlookslikemayonnaise.Sheofcoursecomplainstotheservers,butupon

closerinspectionshefindsthatitisnotmayo,butpusthathadsquirtedoutfromatumor

onthechickenbreast.Ofcourse,thiscouldneverhappenbecausefastfoodchicken

sandwichesaremadeofchoppedmeatthatisshapedintochickenpatties(Mikkelson).

Nevertheless,peoplearewillingtobelievethatthesecorporationswouldusechemically

enhancedmeatthatcausedtumorstogrowintheirchickens.Itgoesalongwithour

generalconceptoftheevilcorporation.

However,ourdistrustoflargecorporationsisnottheonlyfactorinthecreationof

theseurbanlegends.Ourskepticismabouteachotherhasalottodowithit.Inasociety

wherepeoplearenotevenwillingtomakeeyecontactwhilepassingeachotheronthe

streets,mistrustisrampant.Inmodernsociety,wearetaughtatayoungagenottotalkto

strangersandtobeconstantlyonourguardbecausebadpeopleareeverywhere.

Folklorecannotbedivorcedfromtheideologicalperspectivesofitstellersand

audiences(Fine64).Storiesofstrangerscontaminatingourfoodsolidifythesecynical

ideasthatweheardayinanddayout.Sinceweareespeciallyafraidofourfoodbeing

contaminated,thefactthatsomeoneweneverknowwouldsabotageourmealsisenough

tomakeanyoneneverwanttoeatout.

Isuggesttakingacoupleofdeepbreathsbeforereadingon,becauseweareabout

togetverynastywiththenextsetoflegends.Alongthelinesofmistrustingourfellow

humans,orIshouldsaymorespecifically,ourfellowman,thenextseriesofstoriesare

thoseofmalecondomsandsemen.Thereareseveralstoriesaboutpeoplefinding
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condomsinthegarnishoftheirhamburgers.Inonevariation,amanordersaWhopperat

BurgerKingwithnopicklesandnoonions.Hegetshisorderandproceedstowolfdown

themeal,butfindsonionslurkingwithinthesandwich.Enraged,hemarchesuptothe

counteranddemandsanotherburger.Apparentlythisguyreallydidnotlikeonions.But

hewilldislikewhathefindsinthenextburgeralotmore.Hegetsanotherburgerand

liftsthebuntochecktheorder.Hefindsnoonionsandtakesabite.Butthistimethere

issomethingchewyunderthepatty.Thinkingitisapicklethattheincompetentworkers

didnotremove,heliftsthebun,readytotakethesandwichbackagain.Hegetsquitea

surprisewhenhefindsthatitisnotapickle,butinsteadamalecondom.Used(Genge

322).Thatisacondimentthatwecouldallcertainlydowithout.Haha!Getit?

Condom?Condiment?Ah,justtryingtolightenthemood.

WhenIthinkaboutacondombeinginmyfood,IamnauseatedimmediatelyasI

assumeanyoneelsewouldbe.Buttheprospectofthecontentsofacondominmyfood

isinmyopinion,farworse.Thereareliterallyhundredsofvariationsonthesemen

storiesbecausetheyrangefromdoughnutstotacostoahamburgerssecretsauce

(Mikkelson).However,morethanjustthevilefactoroftheideaofsemenbeinginour

food,thereliesalotofdifferentsocialstandardsofthetimethatexplainthecreationof

themyths.Inthesestories,thevictimsarealmostalwaysfemale.Forwomen,thisisa

severeviolationbecausesheisunwittinglyhavingoral,sexualcontactwithastranger.

Formen,theyreadthisintermsofbreakingasexualtaboobecausethewomanhasthe

semenfromastrangerinhermouth(Mikkelson).Inatimewhenfewaresexually

liberated,thissortofsexualcontactisunthinkabletopracticallyeveryone.Otherideas
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aboutsexinourtimearelitthroughthescrimsoflegend.Ourgenerationhasalwayshad

toworryaboutsexuallytransmitteddiseases(STD),andinmanyofthevariationsofthe

semenlegends,somesortofSTDiscontractedsuchasHIV,herpes,orhepatitis

(Mikkelson).Safesexisregularlypracticedinthisdayandage,soanysortof

unprotectedcontactwithasubstancethatcouldcarrysuchdiseasesisterrifyingto

anyone.Anysortofdiseasethatcomesfromthesubstancethatwetrusttogiveuslifeis

completelypetrifying.

Soeventhoughfoodhascometobeasubjectoffearinmodernmythology,itwas

notalwaysso.Whoknowswhysocietymadethatchangefromtrustingintheearthto

giveuslifetomistrustingeachother?Asoursourcesoffoodchange,sodoourideas

aboutfoodandthestoriesthatsurroundit.Withtechnologyprogressingandbusinesses

growingasfastastheyare,itisnotsurprisingthatwearesowaryofwhereourfood

comesfrom.Mostofthetime,wedonotknowwhatgoesonbehindthecountersorin

thefactories.JustastheancientGreeksinventedmythstoexplainthatwhichtheydid

notunderstand,inmoderntimes,wethinkupourtimelessurbanlegendstojustifyour

ignorance.Eventhoughthesemythshaveshiftedtoamuchmorenegativekindof

mythology,itreflectsouropinionsasasociety.Ourskepticismintruelifeisthesource

ofthedarkenedmythologiesthatariseinmodernday.Whenitcomestofood,letsjust

say,wewillallwatchwhatweeat.
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