Celebrating Gabriel García Márquez With His Top Food Moments
Gabriel García Márquez, a Nobel laureate, author, and South American political voice who introduced the literary world to the graceful interweaving of fantasy and reality in the Latino-driven magical realism fiction genre died on April 17th at the age of 87. woman who only ate white wash and dirt in 100 Years of Solitude, to the man who had an unusual affinity for asparagus in Love in the Time of Cholera, The Daily Meal is celebrating Márquez's work by recalling the five most memorable food and eating moments in his novels.
For More Great Food Moments Check Out The Daily Meal's 10 Novels Every Food-Lover Should Read (Slideshow)
Girl who only eats white wash and dirt in 100 Years of Solitude — Márquez was never afraid to get downright weird with his characters, and Rebecca, the orphan girl raised by the Buendia family in 100 Years of Solitude is certainly an odd one. The family tries to help kick her habit but she reverts back to "her ancestral appetite, the taste of primary minerals, the unbridled satisfaction of what was the original food."
The girl who hates eggplant with a passion in Love in the time of Cholera — Fermina hates eggplant so much that she will only agree to enter into an arranged marriage if her husband agrees to never make her consume the wretched, purple vegetable
The eating contest in 100 Years of Solitude — Aureliano Segundo almost kills himself by eating too much during an eating contest, but is bested by a mysterious woman called The Elephant, who discovers that the only way to eat massive quantities of food is to find inner peace.
Ursula's famous milk candy in 100 Years of Solitude — I don't know about you, but I always wanted to try the Ursula's famous milk candy that she made to support her descendants. The Aureliano family matriarch's milk candy may have been inspired by Canillitas de Leche, a traditional Guatemalan candy made from sugar, milk, and cinnamon.
The character who loves asparagus way too much in Love in the Time of Cholera — Márquez has a habit of writing characters who have unhealthy relationships with food, but this one takes the cake. Dr. Juvenal Urbino would insist on eating asparagus year-round because he secretly found pleasure in the odors of asparagus, post-consumption.
Joanna Fantozzi is an Associate Editor with The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @JoannaFantozzi