People ask me in Europe, when they do interviews... they ask me, 'Well, how does it feel to be a cook in a country that doesn't know how to eat?' It always touches a nerve, because Europe and the world think that America is no more than bad hot dogs and bad burgers.
The time has come to recognize that food, how we produce it, process it, package it, sell it, cook it and eat it, is as important as any other issue.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Food production and consumption are critical issues that deserve equal attention as other major societal concerns.
In this quote, José Andrés emphasizes the vital role that food plays in society and advocates for a broader recognition of the entire food ecosystem. He asserts that how we handle food—from its production to its consumption—affects many aspects of life and society, and thus it should be treated with the same seriousness as other significant global issues like health, environment, and economy.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about sustainability at a food conference, one might say, 'As José Andrés puts it, the time has come to recognize that food is as important as any other issue.'
More from Jose Andres
All quotes →As immigrants, we understand better than most that to be an American is a privilege that conveys not just rights but responsibilities.
My family and I cook at home almost every day together. The kitchen is the central and most important room in the house; it's a great way for us to connect. We love going to the farmer's market on Sundays as a family and choosing the ingredients together.
Spain is a fascinating mix of people, languages, culture and food, but if there is one thing all Spaniards share, it's a love of food and drink.
When I came to El Bulli, right away I knew I was becoming part of something incredible. It was like watching the Big Bang happening right in front of me.
The business of feeding people is the most amazing business in the world.
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I think, in general, medicine in the 21st century will switch from healing the sick to upgrading the healthy... If you find ways to repair the memory damaged by Alzheimer's disease or dementia and so forth, it is very likely that the same methods could be used to upgrade the memory of completely healthy people.