Why We Bake and Break Bread at MEA.
When my co-founder Christine Sperber first told me that part of our workshop program would include having small pods of our compadres (what we call our workshop attendees) baking bread as a means of learning collaboration, I thought she was off her hippy-dippy rocker. But, as it turns out, it’s one of the beloved experiences of our 7-day workshops.
But, little did I know the etymology of the word “companion,” which is the English version of compadre. It comes from the Latin com “with” and panis “bread,” so it reminds us that food—and the brief respite allotted to people throughout history for sharing meals—feeds more than the physical body; it also nourishes generosity and friendship.
The history of words teaches us that food is the fuel of relationships. Connecting through bread is one of the many experiences that are MEAningful in Baja.
