Does food help us feel a sense of belonging?

We loved sharing a vegetarian meal last week.  We looked at how people of all religions use shared meals to promote a sense of belonging.  We looked at how Sikh families take it in turns to cook a meal for everyone at the Gurdwara. We shared spiced chickpeas, lentil tarka dal, bombay potatoes, naan bread, popadoms and mango chutney.  We all agreed it was great to share a meal.