Everyone eats. Whether you are an omnivore, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian or any other -ian you can think of, everyone consumes food and in doing so, tells the story of their life. Food connects us to other people, cultures, organisms and even the universe itself because by simply ingesting food, we each participate in our own conversation with the universe through existing. I consider food to be art, but I also love to eat it. Not only do I love to eat good food, but I am also slowly becoming aware of all of the conversations that surround food; whether it be political, social, cultural or simply foodies talking to one another about the taco stand they went to this weekend. Regardless, each morsel of food that you consume becomes a part of you and the story of how that food came to be, becomes part of you as well.

Now I don't simply mean that food is and can be beautiful, colorful works of art simply because of how they look; they are works of art apart from appearances because of all of the connotation that comes behind it. What I mean to say, is that just like art, food makes you think and encourages you to be aware and admire the surrounding story. For most of this article, I want to share with you images of food that speaks, sometimes all by itself, sometimes more subtly. In addition, I want to share with you the stories behind some of the images. The most important thing I can do is get you to think about what you are eating and how it connects you to every other thing between yourself and experiences and the food itself; to say that all food has a story is just as truthful as the story of all art and how it came to be.

We use food in many ways. One way that a North Carolina baker uses it, is to inform communities and to create ways that food is a major part of the conversation when it comes to politics, social justice movements, and just about in any way you can think to use food. By creating this wonderful stencil on the bread, this baker challenges the audience and eaters to think about the ways in which food itself is a major cause for political reform; food justice has become a major section of the food system that demands reform for those areas that are food poor or experience an over-abundance of foods lacking in nutritional value, called food deserts. The delicious jams that are displayed with the bread function as a way for a local artisan and preserve-maker to fight back against industrial farming and demonstrates the niche that she found in the Chapel-Hill Carborro marketplace. She found inspiration for her homegrown, local and sustainable preserves when her family suffered from enormous amounts of farming debt. She ultimately found a way to speak out against modernized and industrialized wholesale products and has found success in each of her small, delectable batches. Any way you use food allows for the inspiration of food as a vessel for the human condition.

Even exploring the NC State Farmers Market itself, one can see rows and rows of fresh vegetables and other products that all come from North Carolina and sustainable or locally grown and raised farms. The prices are worth the taste and the peace of mind that one gets when picking fresh produce from a wooden far stand. These markets occur every weekend and also function as a way to raise awareness about alternative forms of produce, rather than simply stock-piling from local grocery stores.

Food also functions as a way to form connections and bonds. Here at a local Asian cuisine restaurant called "Spring Roll" in North Hills Shopping area, one can experience truly good food. As it is myself and my boyfriend's go-to restaurant no matter what the occasion, we spend time sampling many different dishes and can honestly say, it is the best Chinese food that I have ever had. An upscale take on traditional take-out, the cuisine offers the classic dishes such as sesame chicken, to a more high-end sushi experience that is fully worth the money. And yet, the price is reasonable, even for two college students, and offers the kind of classy going-out experience that makes you feel special. the staff are extremely friendly and helpful, some of which my boyfriend and I have made friends with and who we love to see every time we return. The point of this image is to truly see the beauty in the appetizer that promises an even more delicious main course. While the look of the food is flawless, the food also speaks to the way in which some families subsist off of the restaurant business. These spring rolls do not only mean the chef who cooked them, but they speak for the waiters and waitresses, the owner, the atmosphere and all of the people and ingredients that went into making them.

Those are cakes. Yes, I promise they are cakes and not a dish from the restaurant aforementioned or a bucket of live crabs. But isn't crazy how realistic they are? These cakes are on display at a bakery inside Crabtree Valley Mall that represent how food is always near us. While shopping among the racks of Abercrombie and the Apple store, you stumble upon this unassuming bakery in the middle of the mall. It truly is a sight for sore eyes, as you would never expect to see anything of this stature in the mall where capitalism is king, but these individualized cakes represent all of the perfect formation and art that fights the power of a consumer environment. The cakes are a perfect example of how art can be found in the most unbelievable things and places.

Finally, we come to a piece of food that is near and dear to my heart: my 20th birthday cake. Beautifully decorated with my favorite colors, the cake boasts the best of what a grocery store cake can buy. And I mean that sincerely. I love grocery store stuff and I think that speaks to the lifestyle of most people. No matter how many beautiful markets and pictures of organic food are thrown at you, it can be hard to break away from the grocery store or to honestly even think about your food before you put it in your mouth. Food often times represent the ceremonies that mark important times in each of our lives. In all cultures throughout the world, ceremonies of all kinds are marked by the involvement of food in some way. And this is crucial to our existence as human beings. It speaks of our connection to food as a mode of human experience and in turn, can be a vessel that carries us on through the rest of our lives. So next time you eat that birthday cake or buy that organic salsa from the market, slow down and take a minute to absorb how beautiful that piece of art is in front of you.