How we can learn from hunter-gatherers to improve our relationship with the ritual of nourishment.
By Abbey Somes
In the Western world we are faced with the reality that our cooking spaces are no longer supporting our wellbeing. Kitchens have often become stressful and sterile sensory environments, often built for appearance rather than use. Cooking has become less purposeful - something that people struggle to fit into their busy schedules - which has increased our reliance on convenience meals, packaged foods and food delivery. As a consequence, we have become disconnected from the ritual of cooking as an act of nourishment, nurturing and mindfulness. Research suggests that being active in preparing our own meals from scratch can help improve digestion and absorption of nutrients, decrease overconsumption and benefit mental wellbeing. Cooking for others can also help boost confidence, nurture social connections and communicate love and care. So how can we heal or relationship with the act of cooking?
Reflecting and learning from the practices of our hunter-gatherer ancestors may help us recover a sense of grounding and ritual in our daily acts of nourishment. Hunter-gatherers are those who hunt, fish and forage for sustenance. It was the primary way of life practiced by humans until approximately 11,000-12,000 years ago, before the development of farming techniques, however it continues to be practiced today by a small number of hunter-gatherer communities still in existence. Practices have varied through time and depending on the resources available to them, however all hunter gatherer groups engaged deeply in the primal human acts of preparing and providing nourishment.
Fire was an integral element to hunter-gatherer cooking, was fire, using hearths and earth ovens. Hearths were smaller, ephemeral fires used for dry-heat and on-the-spot cooking, as well as for warmth and light. Earth-ovens were large pits used for slow and bulk cooking, made with layers of earth material, starting with rocks which were heated with fire. Layers of earth and plant material could then be placed on top to contain heat, allowing food to be warmed slowly and for long periods of time. The act of cooking was also very much reliant on the supplies that were hunted and gathered, which were kept in times of surplus and shared in times of scarcity. This helped strengthened bonds within and between communities. To store food and cook their meals, later hunter gatherers used earth pottery - able to withstand the heat of the fire and more durable than hide, skin or timber. The techniques used to make these vessels is believed to have been passed on through the sharing of social and cultural traditions between hunter-gatherer groups, often through marriage or social gatherings. Through time contributing to the act of nourishment has been an important means of sharing traditions and knowledge and bringing people together.
For most, emulating the hunter-gatherer style of cooking would be unrealistic and difficult to achieve in the urban home. So how can we shift the way we design our cooking spaces so that they can better support our wellbeing?
In prioritising environments that support the ritual of nourishment in a more grounded, primal and instinctive way, we can alleviate the pressures and stresses of modern cooking. We can do this by designing low sensory kitchens that prioritise natural materials, tactility and imperfection. We can prioritise connecting our kitchens to our tending spaces, to cook with food grown and gathered ourselves. We can curate our utensils, appliances and work-surfaces in such a way that embraces the engagement of the senses. This can also be achieved by incorporating earth elements, particularly fire and earth, into our cooking methods and implements. With spatially supportive nourishment spaces, we can improve our overall sense of wellbeing and mend our relationship with the act of cooking and our rituals of nourishment.