Your Last Supper

It is an age old question and one that, I feel, tells more about somebody than any other bit of information (as long as you can get an explanation out of them).




If were to die in 24 hours what would you want your last meal to be? Anything from anywhere in the world with no price limit.




This was the first survey question we put up and it was for good reason. What could tell more about a person than what they would want their last meal to be!? We can all admit that food is one of the best things about life. Aside from nourishing the body, an amazing meal boosts the spirit. Think of the last time you ate something. Chances are you felt better then then you had a few seconds before. Food is fuel for the soul. It is a necessity for a happy life and a representation of our connection with the physical world. We take ingredients from the earth, physically change them, and consume them. If you must, think back to the Lion King. Remember the circle of life? Exactly. Eating food is possibly the most basic connection we have to the physical world. That being said, imagine your last meal. What would you want? This will be the last thing you will consume in your life. Hopefully you understand how serious this is.


Ancient cultures appreciated the last meal just as much as (if not more than) we do now. In Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, and China last meals were granted to those who were condemned. The Idea, again, was to respect the person who was about to die by giving them one last earthly pleasure. Ancient Aztecs would feed their human sacrifices for up to a year before killing them in order to ensure a healthy spirit. Plus I'm sure stabbing a stuffed guy in the stomach is way more entertaining than if he was emaciated.


In pre-modern Europe, the last meal was granted for superstitious reasons. In this case, the meal was an offering from the people to the condemned. The accepting of free food was seen as making peace with the host and accepting the death penalty. The person to be killed would take an oath of truce to abjure all vengeance. The last meal was often a sort of feast with the judge, jury, and witness included to make sure that no one had ill feelings toward anyone else. Often times, large amounts of alcohol would be served to the prisoner in order to subdue him and remove the risk of an escape attempt or aggression at the scaffold. The ultimate goal here was to make sure that an angry spirit did not haunt anyone in the afterlife. Not quite what goes on in the states but Hey! to each his own.


In the USA most states acknowledge and honor the last meal tradition for inmates on death row. However the hypothetical "anything you want" meal is out of the question. Often times the rule is "anything you want within reason". Different states have different rules but generally there is no alcohol allowed as it dulls the pain of execution and usually no tobacco is included. In Texas the food must come from within the prison system. Florida limits the meal to local items with a $40 limit. Maryland apparently has no last meal right at all.


So, what do you pick? Something you ate when you were a child? Something you ate every day? Something you never had before? Something that reminds you of somewhere else? In our poll, 53% said they would eat something that they ate when they were young and something that reminds them of somewhere else. This is definitely the most consistent answer I get when I ask people this hypothetical. People tell me they want Meatloaf, hamburgers, steak, Mac N' Cheese, Pizza, mashed potatoes, stuffing, Pasta, ice cream cones, cookies, candy bars, etc. There is rarely a request for a seared Foie Gras, white truffles, Caviar, or Kobe beef. They do come up but not nearly as often the former. In one specific case a Korean friend of mine requested Bird's Nest Soup (a Chinese delicacy that is a soup made with a certain bird's nest).


Why the soul food trend you ask? Good question. Only the answerer knows for sure. Why does Joe ask for a rare burger with two Kraft singles, lettuce, tomato, pickles, whole grain mustard, and mayo with polenta and a bottle of Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque Blanc de Blanc (the worlds most expensive bottle of Bubbly)? Well, ask him! He may tell you how his dad would grill up burgers like that in the summer and his mother had the best polenta recipe in the winter. Maybe he is a Sommelier and would have no greater pleasure than going out with that most coveted bottle in his hand. You see! You just learned a ton about Joe! No matter what your answer is, it will have a meaning and it will have a memory connected. The basic childhood meals are so popular because they remind us of our roots. Childhood was a fun place to be. It was an ideal era when problems were scarce and our joy was plentiful. Food is an escape. And when you're facing the end what could be better than a mini-vacation to a simpler time.

The question can be expanded to include guests, weather conditions, and geographic location. The more specific the question, the more likely the answer will change day to day, season to season. Again, you will see people select close family and friends to join them in preferred weather and in a place they feel connected to. The most common locations are places like a sunny beach, a breezy Italian hill side, or the backyard of their childhood home.

In Melanie Dunea's book My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs And Their Final Meals Portraits, Interviews, And Recipes Great chefs are interviewed and asked this most intimate question. Their answers range from steak and beer to Gooseneck Barnacles and amazonian fruits. Striking portraits are included in the book and interviews with each chef.


It is a question common in the restaurant world, but as more and more foodies are born, the discussion of a last supper is slowly seeping into the rest of society. So. I ask you. If you were to die tomorrow what would you want your last meal to be?


Don't feel like you have to answer here. Just have an answer ready for when you ask your friends.


-Frank