The symbolism and scaredness of food is common to many if not all
religions.
It makes sense that agricultural food would be of great significance
to
agricultural people. For example, corn is sacred to Native Americans,
and
many tribes incorporate corn into ceremony. There is a tribe in
Africa, in
the Congo, for whom the gourd (calbas) is sacred, representing
mother's
womb, the seeds for next year's crop are stored inside the calbas
until they
are planted. In Mexico, on the Day of the Dead, people will make
likenesses
of their departed using bread.

When you think of religion as way of life rather than a sturctured set
of
beliefs, it makes sense that whatever people are eating will be sacred
or
symbolic for them.

Also in many cases it's not so much the foods itself but what you are
DOING
with the food that is sacred. In Christianity, when you say grace at a
meal
and ask God to bless your food, the food is blessed...no matter what
is on
the plate. And bread is bread, wine is wine...unless it is used for
communion, then it is the body and blood of Christ.

The word "companion" is derived from Latin words meaning "together"
and
"bread"...a companion is someone with whom you share bread.

Stacie