Emma’s food annoyances: bowls
I eat often, a lot and gladly, and then I regularly notice things. Usually they’re positive things, but it also often happens that something irritates me immensely. Whether that’s justified or not, sometimes I just need to vent. Hence this column: Emma’s food annoyances. This time, my unfiltered opinion on bowls.
A short search on Bol.com results in no fewer than ten pages full of cookbooks with dishes specifically meant to be served in a bowl. Why? First of all: get a grip and just call it a bowl. And why does food in bowls need any attention at all?
On the couch
I do know that nothing beats an evening on the couch, under a blanket, with a nice meal on your lap. Preferably with cutlery in one hand and food that doesn’t fall over the edge of your plate as soon as you start eating. And yes, a bowl is the ideal solution then. Surely we don’t need books for that, making the phenomenon hip by using the English name?
Poké bowls
I blame poké bowls. Because of the immense popularity of the glorified bowl of rice, everyone is offering bowls left, right and centre. What, for example, is a burrito bowl? A burrito is by definition a tortilla containing various ingredients. If you put those same ingredients in a bowl, the entire burrito aspect disappears and you’re left with a Mexican rice dish. Duh.
Smoothie bowls
Perhaps what I find worst of all are smoothie bowls. A smoothie is a drink, and you drink from a cup or a glass. Why would you put a drink in a bowl, arrange some pretty fruit on top and call it a bowl? I don’t understand. It’s not even a substance that’s pleasant to eat with a spoon; just drink your smoothie! It’s a typical example of an Instagram sensation that I’m certain nobody eats—everyone simply drinks it once the photo has been taken.
Come on
The aforementioned bowl books contain entire chapters on soup and porridge. Well, of course you put those in a bowl. What else would you serve them in? An egg cup? Other dishes that end up in a bowl include pasta, stews, quinoa salads, risotto, fruit crumbles and ice cream. All delicious in a bowl, but just eat it under your blanket on the couch and don’t make it more interesting than it is. Come on.
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