What does food symbolize?

Food is any subantance that lends energy to one form of life. Without food it's impossible for the brain or the body to function. As a result, the body will begin to breakdown and eventually deteriorate. However, food is not only essential to our lives but can symbolize emotions and culture.
An emotion is a mental state that arises impulsively rather than through consciousness. Individuals can't predict what there next emotion will be nor can they fully control it. Every human being has emotions and will experience them all. Some of these emotions include depression, bitterness, joy, etc. Emotions are what allow people to express how they feel. Likewise, emotions can represent food in the same matter. In the novel "Like Water for Chocolate" Tita was preparing a chabela wedding cake for the man she deeply loves Pedro and her sister Rosaura. Tita was extremely angry that her sister was marrying the man she thought she was going to live happy ever after with. While making the cake all of her bitterness, pain and exhaustion toward her mother and sister were expressed through the cake. During the wedding reception everyone decided to eat a slice of cake before departure. Minutes later people were vomiting everywhere and feeling really sick to the stomach". This explains that people can reveal there emotions through food. If Tita's mood was different this incident would probably have not occured. Food not only symbolize emotions but culture as well.
Culture is a range of learned behavior. Many of these behaviors such as language, personality and cooking are taught from family. For example, thanksgiving is a day where many people follow the tradition of cooking certain types of food. People experience culture everyday whether it's eating from a chinese restaurant or a soul food restaurant. One of the things that are commonly shared in culture is food. People are able to bring what recipes they were taught and share it among other people. Everyday thousands of people spend their money on food because it satisfies their need and wants. Most likely people would try different types of food just to experience the taste of food that they wouldn't normally eat.
Overall, food is significant in our lives. Food is something that we turn to when we feel sad, happy or angry. Also, food is one thing that we are taught through our families. These reasons clearly show how food can symbolize emotions and culture.