Where Food is God. How Fringe Religious Groups Launched the Health Food Movement

[sixmile]

Great non-judgemental piece form SLATE by Daniel Fromson. Interesting and worth a read.

http://www.slate.com/id/2295857/

snip

'A 15-minute walk from my house in D.C. is Soul Vegetarian Cafe and Exodus Carryout, part of a mini-chain stretching from Tel Aviv to Atlanta. African-American polygamists who consider themselves the real Jews served me vegan mac-and-cheese and a vegetable croquette on a thick whole-wheat bun, the Moses Burger. In upstate New York, a competing chosen people, the hippie-ish "Jesus People" known as the Twelve Tribes, sold me a whole-grain waffle drowned in blueberry sauce and whipped cream. (They also have restaurants in Massachusetts, Colorado, Tennessee, and other states.) Two blocks from Manhattan's Penn Station, I ate vegan dumplings and nutty seaweed salad while watching Supreme Master TV, the 24-hour satellite network of Supreme Master Ching Hai, proprietress of, at latest count, 201 Loving Hut restaurants in 29 countries. And twice—while on vacation in Rome and later in Brooklyn—I tried to dine with Hare Krishnas. If you want to sample Lord Krishna's vegan meatballs, call in advance: Odd hours seem to be the norm at his hundred or so temple/cafes worldwide.'

snip

'I didn't experience much proselytizing at the restaurants I visited—although when I asked a sari-clad waitress at Annam Brahma about her religion, she told me Sri Chinmoy used to say that "meditation is a road, and anyone can follow the road." One group that definitely uses food to woo potential devotees is the one that served me my waffle with blueberry sauce, the Twelve Tribes. The wife of the sect's founder once wrote the following about their first restaurant, the Yellow Deli: "This was really our motivation in opening a restaurant—that we could come into contact with the people and be able to show them through our lives … how wonderful it was to know God."

more at link

Recommended.

[Warpy]

1. Some religious groups, like the Seventh Day Adventists

were in the forefront of the veggie food movement. Others, like the Rastafarians, were part of the whole foods movement, although they were late arrivals. The latest arrivals were the Genesis diet people.

Most of the foodie movement was impoverished hippies who needed a way to stay strong and healthy without breaking the bank and not part of any organized spiritual group.

[truedelphi]

3. One of the best meals of my life -

Back in 1972, in Toronto, this food co op served this rokkin mushroom over rice thing-ee.

It cost like $ 1.93. You could have it at 11Am and still feel full several hours later.

Even decades later, that meal still ranks with the top ten of best things I have ever had.

Anywhere and at any price.

[Warpy]

5. I lived a five minute walk from a macro restaurant in Boston

and they routinely served me "the best thing I ever had," no matter what I ordered from their menu.

[Paula Sims]

2. It's the "in thing" in DC and many progressive cities

If it makes money, they'll sell anything + religion to appease their god -- the almighty dollar.

[MilesColtrane]

4. There's a great restaurant in town that's run by the Hare Krishna.

Yummy vegetarian fare plus a built in temple.


http://www.kalachandjis.com/