Free food is glue

One of the most intriguing things about the human mind is that we love free stuff. I can picture many times in my life where I was persuaded to do something or go somewhere with the promise of free food or free merch. Back home growing up, one of the traditions in the Fall was to take the entire day at the Solano Stroll, which was an event for street vendors and merchants to come out and sell, like a giant farmers’ market/food truck/merchant fair, and collect all the free goodies we could. We would come home with our stomachs full from street vendor food samples and our bags full of random company swag like sunglasses or water bottles. Those days were fun, filled with good food and good times, especially the feeling I shared with my friends when we discovered a tent with food. Another promise of a good time and free food comes from the sample bars at Trader Joe’s and Costco. I felt more inclined to visit these stores because of the excitement I knew I would have when I saw the sample bar and the glowing light surrounding the free samples in those little white cups. When COVID-19 hit, it was devastating for the entire grocery-shopping population to hear that Costco and Trader Joe’s would not be giving out samples of their products anymore. Obviously, it makes sense during a pandemic, but that loss still hurts.

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Lately, I have been noticing the immense power that free food holds in my day to day friendships as well. Last week, my friend went on a cooking and baking frenzy and made delicious pasta with a vodka sauce and garlic bread. We got our friends together and ended up all sitting down at the table and enjoying the food she had cooked for us. It felt nice, like we were a little dysfunctional family. Some people were sitting on ottomans and desk chairs because we all didn’t fit at the dining room table. There weren’t many eyes glued to phone screens and we all laughed. My point here is that we got to spend quality time with our friends doing “adult” things, like eating dinner on actual plates and actually sitting down at the table. Despite that day being long and though many of us had homework and other responsibilities, we all took the time to come together because of the promise of a nice, FREE, home cooked meal. Of course, we paid for the food in other ways by doing the dishes and cleaning up while the main chef got to put her feet up and rest. I liked the exchange of favors that was all based around a group dinner and friendship. I liked the little clinks of forks and the silence that came over the table once everyone started eating. I liked feeling that sense of community, having a meal together, especially when the food was good and everyone was enjoying it. Funnily enough, after we ate, we watched Ratatouille, which was fitting for the night, not only because of the current rat issue we have been having on our property (that is another story altogether), but also because the movie is centered around food and cooking. In the movie, Remy and Linguini bond over their different relationships with food and cooking. Overall, being brought together by tasty food, especially when it is free, is something that college students, and even adults, all have in common. The need for charitable actions like a free meal, as well as the need for social interaction, fuels our motivation to gather and eat together. There is something truly special about a meal that was made with love, in your kitchen, for you, that you get to enjoy with the people you care about. Free food is glue, and I’m sticking with it.