Food Porn

A couple of months ago, I watched the South Park episode, “Creme Fraiche.” In the episode, Stan’s dad, Randy, starts becoming aroused by watching FoodNetwork and ends up using cooking as a sexual outlet. Since I am a bit of a FoodNetwork and food-themed show addict myself, I thought the show was particularly funny and, sadly, spot-on. When nothing else is on, I turn to FoodNetwork. Pretty soon, I’m eye-glued, mouth agape, and rapt. Although it isn’t sexual, it has to be a similar part of the brain.

I read two articles about the relationship between food and sex in Psychology Today. The first article, “Are you a Gastrosexual?” by Susan Albers, reports that a study conducted by PurAsia found that people who cook are thought to be more attractive. The second article, “The Relationship between Sex and Food” by Maryanne Fischer, talked about the many ways food and sex are tied. For one, she looks at foods, like avocados, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese, which release chemicals that are similar to chemicals released during sex . The food with the highest concentration of these chemicals is chocolate, which causes the brain to release both PEA, creating euphoria, and Dopamine, a chemical attached to "high" moments, like during an orgasm.

So, next date night you might want to consider cheddar fondue with avocados and tomatoes for the main course followed by chocolate fondue for dessert.

An article written by Mary Eberstadt for the Hoover Institution simply asks, “Is Food the New Sex?" In famous food quotes, Gael Greene phrases this question with the statement, "great food is like great sex. The more you have, the more you want." Garrison Keillor answers Eberstadt's question in the affirmative by saying "sex is good, but not as good as fresh, sweet corn."

Not only is food related by both senses and through brain chemistry, food can even look sensual. I remember in a photography class in high school, the teacher showed us a series of natural studies pictures by Edward Weston who turned mushrooms, peppers, and flowers into erotic objects. My favorite photograph of his is "Pepper #30,” which turns a pepper into a couple embracing. With the right lighting and the right lens, androgynous and asexual vegetables became seductive, sensual forms. What amazed me is how easily a piece of food could become a nude model.

Lately, because of this blog, my life is full of food porn. Photography of food to accompany recipes is a staple of food blogs. There are even several sites just for food photography, or food porn. A new favorite website, FoodFrenzy, is dedicated to "beautiful displays of food." Currently, there is so much food photography on the internet, it makes me wonder if food porn is on its way to becoming second only to real porn in internet hits.

It does always impress me to see what amazing things happen to food because of a camera lens. There is such lushness, such colors. There are swirling patterns, perfect drops, and delightfully amorphous shapes. There is life in it. There is sensuality in it. There is beauty in it.