Dinner is often considered the main meal of the day in many cultures around the world. It is a time when families and friends gather together at the end of a long day to enjoy a meal and each other's company. For many, dinner preparation starts early in the day as ingredients are gathered, recipes selected, and dishes prepped well in advance of the designated dinnertime.
Special holiday and celebratory dinners involve more elaborate fare. Thanksgiving dinners, for example, traditionally revolve around roast turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls, and pumpkin pie. Birthday dinners may feature the favorite foods of the guest of honor. Anniversary or romantic dinners for two may include fine dining restaurant meals, steak and wine at home, or thoughtfully prepared homecooked meals.
In some cultures, dinner is a larger, more social affair. Traditional Chinese dinners can last for hours and involve multiple courses of dishes like dim sum appetizers, soup, seafood, meat, rice, vegetables, and fruit for dessert. In Italy, multi-course dinners with antipasti, primi piatti pastas, secondi piatti meats, and dolci desserts are common. Most dishes are prepared fresh, from scratch, and enjoyed leisurely in the company of friends and family.
The foods served at dinners can vary greatly by culture, tradition, and personal preferences. In many Western cultures, a typical dinner often consists of a protein like meat, fish, or poultry, a starch like potatoes, rice, or pasta, and vegetables. Salads, soups, breads, and desserts also frequently accompany the main dishes. Some families have certain meals designated for specific days of the week, like Taco Tuesdays or Italian Sundays. Others like to try new recipes regularly to add variety. Comfort foods and family recipes handed down through generations also commonly make dinner appearances.
Dinner customs, foods, and norms have certainly evolved over time and differ based on culture and geography. But despite this diversity, dinners around the world share some common threads. Namely, dinners provide important mental respite and physical nourishment at the end of the day. They offer opportunities for families and friends to gather, connect, and enjoy nourishing foods and beverages together. And preparation of meals, from early planning to final presentation, is often an act of care and love.
The rhythms and rituals of dinners, and the symbolic foods so often served, are a window into the values, heritage, and identities of cultures. Whether it's Southern comfort food, a Jewish Shabbat meal, or Peruvian ceviche shared with friends and family, dinners feed our bodies, souls, and connections in ways that go far beyond physical satiety. As the oft-heard toast reminds us - dinner isn't just about the food on the plate. It's about the people at the table.