The sound of food as a meditation

My daughter, who is too skinny, asked me to make her a Jewish Passover dinner last Friday night, April 19, as the week of holiday observances was beginning. 

I was happy to comply, not only to honor this most holy holiday but also because Passover meals are fairly rich in calories and this provided an opportunity to fatten her up a bit (not like the idolatrous calf; just like a beloved but skinny child).

The sound of simmering oil

Potato pancakes, known as latkes, are actually a Hanukkah dish, made as a way to remember the miracle of the cooking oil that lasted eight nights. Purists will say that potato pancakes are a relatively new addition to the holiday meal, so I feel like it’s OK, therefore, to move them to the spring celebration of Passover.

I was explaining to my daughter that you know the oil is ready to accept the batter when it begins to bubble lightly. This led to a discussion of ASMR cooking, which seemed like an interesting topic for this column, as it relates to food and to mental health. 

ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. What it refers to is sounds that act almost as a tranquilizer for some people.

ASMR is a relatively new phenomenon, made popular (as is the case with so many modern trends) by the internet. ASMR videos have apparently become hugely popular online, with skillful practitioners attracting millions of views and viewers.  

In general, ASMR refers to sounds that are repetitive and soothing and that, in some people, make you tingle all over. 

There isn’t a ton of scientific research out there yet on ASMR — although you might be surprised to learn that there is any scientific research out there at all, notably a study done in 2018 at the University of Sheffield in England.

There is some debate about who experiences ASMR, how they experience it and what causes it. 

But what seems to be very clear is that, for whatever reason, some people definitely experience it and that most people would find ASMR videos and experiences relaxing.

This is not in any way an official explanation of ASMR, it’s a very personal and expanded explanation, so don’t send me a letter telling me I got it wrong. 

Here’s how ASMR videos work: Someone whispers very softly into a microphone while making repetitive common sounds like crinkling paper, brushing hair, tapping fingernails on different surfaces.

A portal to intimacy

My personal feeling about the popularity of ASMR is that we all live in a world that goes too fast and makes too much noise. If you lived in a world without television and internet and podcasts and cell phones, you would be more attuned to the small sounds of everyday life, such as the ticking of a clock or the humming of cicadas in trees in summer. 

There is also an intimacy aspect to ASMR; part of the appeal is apparently the whispering voice of the narrator. For me, this recalls being in middle school and how nice it felt to have someone brush your hair or do those other weirdly kittenish middle-school things like running their fingernails lightly over your sensitive inner arm. 

Apparently there are also ASMR videos that mimic a visit to a doctor. I think we can all agree that in our modern world, we all wish that someone was taking care of us and not being in a rush about it. 

Whatever the reasons why ASMR works, the little bit of science that’s available on it indicates that people who watch these videos experience lowered heart rates and a greater sensory sensitivity. It’s a very effective form of meditation; some people use it to help them sleep, others use it to help them through periods of anxiety and depression. 

Listen to your food

There is a whole subgenre of ASMR videos that relate to food and to cooking. I tend to play podcasts while I’m cooking, if I’m alone. If my daughter joins me in the kitchen, I’ll turn off the podcast. I know that this is important to her; it lets her know that I’m focused on her and not running around doing too many things when she wants me to pay attention to her. 

This week, there isn’t a recipe to go with the article. But there is a recommendation. Tonight, when you prepare your dinner, even if you’re making a frozen meal, take some time to listen to and enjoy the sounds that your food prep makes. 

That might include the sound of your fingertip running under the cardboard closure on a frozen food box and the crinkle of the metal foil on top of the food, or the sound of a knife slowly slicing open the plastic cover of a meal. 

It might include the sound of water bubbling in a stockpot as you prepare pasta, or the sound of a knife forcing its way through the crispy flesh of a dense apple or carrot. 

Even though the sound of chewing isn’t automatically attractive, perhaps if we all listen to the sound of ourselves eating we’ll begin to eat more slowly and with more deliberation. That can’t help but be healthier. 

And as you’re doing all these things: Enjoy. Relax. Be present. Whisper those words to yourself or a loved one as you make your meal.