Importance of food in world's religions

The status of food, at least in the developed countries, has been elevated form a basic necessity to an object of pleasure, to a sport, and to a series of interpretations by various cultures - witness the rise of the Cooking Channels. And now, there is a renewed twist on food - the spiritual twist...
Food in religion is nothing new - ancient religions incorporated certain practices about food in their rituals - not to eat certain types of food for a certain group of people, e.g. Jews or Christians, or to abstain from certain foods on certain days. Initially, there must have been a reason for these, as there were no methods of refrigeration and preservation of food - for example, not eating easy to spoil food items like dairy or eggs on certain days, fasting, vegetarianism, or not using stimulants - but over time, these were modified and became a way of life. Sharing or donation of food was incorporated into our rituals as well, and those practices continue to the modern day.
There is an initiative under way called Holy Kitchens, which examines the commonality of the role of food in world's religions. From their site, "Sharing food is as old as time itself and an inseparable part of the human experience. When we share food in a spiritual setting we imbue it with meaning that draws us closer to our creator and closer to each other. A simple dish of lentils becomes much more than a simple bowl of food. It becomes spiritual sustenance that elevates our consciousness..."


Interesting concept, and thought provoking...click here for coverage in the WSJ