Chef José Andrés, born in Spain and an American citizen since 2014, says food connects tradition and the future. His relief organization, World Central Kitchen, has served 600 million meals to people in need. Andrés describes America as a “food nation” founded on longer tables where everybody is welcome, and he says food is more than tradition — it is our future.
He argues the strength of the country depends on how we feed ourselves and how we feed the world: caring for the people who grow, harvest and cook our food, and ensuring no child goes hungry. As the richest nation in history, he says, America has the responsibility to feed the hungry and tend to the poor. In the nation’s worst moments, he adds, the best of America shows up at that long table, reminding us who we are; then food becomes hope.