Friday, December 09, 2005
Food in fiction...sensual foodThe other day I was thinking about how sensual food can be...how sexy. I see it used in love scenes regularly, both in books and film. The scene in the movie 9 and 1/2 Weeks comes to mind instantly, of course.
What are some foods you think of as being sexual? Finger foods perhaps? Whipped cream? *eg*
To get your imagination started, I leave you with a post I made to my blog a few weeks ago:
The only New Year's resolution I made for 2005 was to eat a pomegranate. I never have had this honor before.
I thought about this on my way home, realizing that it's almost December and I still hadn't fulfilled my goal. I thought I was perhaps too late. Weren't pomegranates ripe in the summer? When I stopped at the grocery on the way home I had actually forgotten all about it. However I passed a display of pomegranates in the produce section. I bought a couple, but they were hard. I figured they weren't ripe, but at least I'd satisfy my resolution.
When I got home I did some research on the fruit and discovered that this is actually the time of year when they're ripe. I found out what the inside of the pomegranate would look like, clusters of red seeds in sacs of sweet juice wrapped around by bitter yellow rind. It said you could swallow the seeds, or spit. Your choice.
So I got out my cutting board and knife and sliced into the fruit. Ripe as ripe can be. Red juice spilled on the counter. I put the halves in a bowl and set about eating it.
Unless you're half dead, you can't miss the sensuality of this experience. Peeling back bits of rind to reveal the soft, glistening fruit. Nipping at the flesh as the sweet juice fills your mouth, as it runs down your arms and stains your fingers red. The feel of the seeds in your mouth, the way they break so perfectly from the bitter rind when coaxed.
I swallowed the seeds, the better to get all the juice. So, tell me. Do you spit or swallow when eating a pomegranate?
