Something about a bowl of food is exciting, but I wasn't sure exactly why. Putting food in bowls is not a new concept, but the trend has quickly spread far and wide to include foods that never used to be put in bowls, like smoothies. I considered the fact that many people use bowls in lieu of carbs, and this could be the attracting feature. The burrito bowl begs no need for a tortilla, and many veggie bowls have replaced sandwiches
But as I dove into my poke bowl, I was very satisfied without thinking about any carb supplement. To get to the bottom of this mystery of why food tastes better in bowls, I took to Instagram. By polling the same people that are constantly posting pictures of their bowls and amplifying the bowl trend, I got some insight into why everyone is so obsessed. In the end, it comes down to three types of people.
The Mixers
The Mixers are the most common type of bowl eater. They like all of the contents of their bowl to live side-by-side in perfect harmony. @esther_day said, "Food is just so much more easily mixable, allowing for everything to mesh together better!" These people like the food in their bowls to be entangled and evenly dispersed.
There is also a degree of personal preference involved when mixing a bowl. You can decide how much you want it to be mixed, and the bowl provides for optimal stirring power. You can begin eating the bowl unmixed, but once you decide to jumble everything up, there's no going back.
The Decisive Diners
The Decisive Diners are polar opposites of the Mixers and wouldn't dare destroy the aesthetic of their bowls by mixing them. These guys precisely craft each bite to taste exactly how they want it to. This allows them to taste everything in the bowl separately, without the powerful flavors masking the weaker ones.
@frankirosenthal said, "You can incorporate so much into a bowl and have different bites of different things each time." If the bowl was mixed, there would be no way to choose the exact ingredients that will make up the next mouthful. I enjoy making the small decision of which forkfuls to put together, so I fall into this category.
The Efficient Eater
Some people just like to eat as efficiently as possible, and for them, the bowl is the perfect tool for doing so. These people might be messy eaters, but the bowl helps them keep it clean. @isatake7 answered my question and said, "It's easy to eat and isn't ~too~ messy!" The word "easy" was used in almost half of the answers to the poll.
Others simply prefer to relax while they eat instead of struggling to get the meal from dish to mouth. @cameroncohen_ said, "Bowls allow your fork or spoon to grab the food more efficiently with the curved edges." It takes serious skill to master the fork and knife technique, so the sides of the bowl can be very helpful.
A Successful Investigation
The evidence provided here is sufficient enough to claim that food does indeed taste better in bowls. This has less to do with the actual food itself and more with the experience of eating it as a whole. Bowls are fun and provide a sense of comfort. @lizziekorkin thinks that eating food in a bowl feels like digging for treasure, and @elirosen said that when food is in a bowl, it feels like the food is cuddling.
All of these opinions point to one conclusion: this trend is not dying anytime soon. I wonder what they'll think to put in a bowl next.