114 ■ FLOWThe preparation of food has developed in history according to the same
principles as all other flow activities. First, people took advantage of the
opportunities for action (in this case, the various edible substances in
their environment), and as a result of attending carefully they were able
to make finer and finer distinctions between the properties of foodstuffs.
They discovered that salt preserves meats, that eggs are good for coating
and binding, and that garlic, although harsh-tasting by itself, has medici
nal properties and if used judiciously imparts subtle flavors to a variety
of dishes. Once aware of these properties, people could experiment with
them and then develop rules for putting together the various substances
in the most pleasing combinations. These rules became the various
cuisines; their variety provides a good illustration of the almost infinite
range of flow experiences that can be evoked with a relatively limited
number of edible ingredients.
Much of this culinary creativity was sparked by the jaded palates
of princes. Referring to Cyrus the Great, who ruled Persia about twenty-
five centuries ago, Xenophon writes with perhaps a touch of exaggera
tion: “... men travel over the whole earth in the service of the King
of Persia, looking to find out what may be pleasant for him to drink;
and ten thousand men are always contriving something nice for him to
eat.” But experimentation with food was by no means confined to the
ruling classes. Peasant women in Eastern Europe, for instance, were not
judged to be ready for marriage unless they had learned to cook a
different soup for each day of the year.
In our culture, despite the recent spotlight on gourmet cuisine,
many people still barely notice what they put in their mouths, thereby
missing a potentially rich source of enjoyment. To transform the biologi
cal necessity of feeding into a flow experience, one must begin by paying
attention to what one eats. It is astonishing—as well as discouraging—
when guests swallow lovingly prepared food without any sign of having
noticed its virtues. What a waste of rare experience is reflected in that
insensitivity! Developing a discriminating palate, like any other skill,
requires the investment of psychic energy. But the energy invested is
returned many times over in a more complex experience. The individu
als who really enjoy eating develop with time an interest in a particular
cuisine, and get to know its history and its peculiarities. They learn to
cook in that idiom, not just single dishes, but entire meals that repro
duce the culinary ambience of the region. If they specialize in Middle
Eastern food, they know how to make the best hummus, where to find
the best tahini or the freshest eggplant. If their predilection includes the