Eating Fractals and Stars

Romanesco Cauliflower- fractal icon

Someone once remarked that we eat first with our eyes and then our mouths.  I contend that for some of us, we eat first with our eyes, then our brains.  My brain is fired up by the visual cues of colors and textures of my food.   I am beyond excited to cut into the bright red watermelon in mid-summer, the sweet juices that run onto my counter sets my brain swimming in anticipatory pleasures.  Sometimes the names of foods are evocative provocations for the brain.  Who wouldn't want to eat a star fruit?  Does a dragon fruit sound intriguing to you?   How about consuming  a plate of fractals?  Fractals, you say?  My husband is a physicist and mathematician, so eating  a plate of fractals sends his brain into ecstatic overdrive. Actually, many foods send him over the edge, especially anything containing chocolate, cream and butter. To simplify a lengthy and fascinating subject, fractals are geometric shapes found in nature that contain self- similar patterns.  The Romanesco cauliflower is a dominant icon for fractals, as are ferns, broccoli and cauliflower.  Break apart your cauliflower and you see the self-similar patterns emerging with each floret.

So yes, just like sex, eating starts with the eyes, taking in the fantastic shapes, patterns and textures.  But in the end we all recognise that the brain is where the pleasure occurs.  From the brain to the palate, I say bon appetit!

Star Fruit

Dragon Fruit