Hard to Swallow

Except perhaps for food and cooking, it seems the word most commonly uttered by the “world’s greatest chef” is probably evolution.

Ferran Adrià of Spain’s Catalán province is lauded for his experimentation with food that will change humankind. Not satisfied with the status quo in his kitchen, he is determined to make cuisine evolve. Adrià has spoken at Harvard on the evolution of culinary theory. His theory of culinary evolution summarizes the supposed evolution of food—from the big bang through the time of ape-men, to the discovery of fire, to modern-day cooking.

Adrià claims that in the course of millions of years, cooking has fed human evolution. With growing intelligence, the superstar chef notes, man has learned to combine different flavors for more taste experiences. Supposedly, those varied culinary sensations have further stimulated our brains to grow, and we have become even more intelligent in an ever-upward evolutionary spiral.

Such science fiction really has no bearing on the tasty treats Adrià can whip up in a kitchen. But as foodies swallow his beliefs whole, they have one more temptation to turn their backs on their Creator who, out of His great love for us, “gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). That includes the gourmet concoctions of the world’s greatest chef.