“You are what you eat,” the old phrase says. But what if that saying were pushed to its most literal – and most alarming – possible extreme? What if our food could change us, turning us into something else? We live in an eat-obsessed world. Celebrity chefs, rare ingredients, complex tasting menus—we are relentlessly bombarded with images and suggestions about what we should eat. But how many times do we pause to think about the greater importance of what we put into our bodies? How often do we consider how the food we eat affects not just our bodies but also our minds and souls? Picture yourself sitting down to a meal that tastes and smells wonderful but has an odd, unhealthy feel. The tastes are strong, the textures unique, and the whole experience makes you feel somewhat different—as though you’ve eaten not food but something else—something that is inside you now, modifying you from the inside out. As Hannibal Lecter astutely (and unnervingly) advised, “First principles, Clarice. Simplicity. Read Marcus Aurelius. ‘Of each particular thing, ask what is it in itself? What is its nature?’ In the case of food, the answer is perhaps more complex – and unsettling – than we realize. If you are fascinated by the more sinister aspect of culinary curiosity, consider reading “OINK” by James Konrath. It delves into what occurs when our hunger sets us on a course for strange transformations.