Eating on the Edge

Horwitz idea of “eating on the edge” is basically describing how traditional food customs are changing, things such eating three meals a day, where we are eating, and how these are changing over time and from country to country. For example, Horwitz uses soup and explains, “What was once an archetype of the commensal is now widely available in a variety of single-serving .” Horwitz is showing here how back in the day, soup was something that people would eat together, like at a family dinner, and how now soup is something that people eat alone on-the-go. Over time it has changed from a sit down group meal to a solo on-the-go meal. He also explains how the uses of things in situations change over time. Horwitz uses the example of the student eating in his class, he notes, “To the students’ utter astonishment, I told them that during my graduate school days students and teachers regularly smoked in class.” Back in his time, smoking was the thing that people would do in class not eating. But with time it has changed to people eating in class and not smoking.

I can relate to this through eating with my family. Whenever we are with my grandparents, it is a very formal meal. There are a couple courses and we all dress up for the occasion. We do this because this is how my grandparents were raised and how they eat throughout their entire life. My parents tell stories about how they would ware a suit and a dress to dinner, not because it was a fancy meal but that was what was expected of them to ware. Now, when we have dinner without my grandparents it is a very informal meal. We grab our own portions, have the TV on, and do not have to wait for the Lady of the house to lift her fork in order to start eating. In just one generation we have changed the way that we eat dramatically and are following the idea of “eating on the edge”.