What cultural paradox is highlighted by the visual isolation required for eating the ortolan?

Enjoyment requiring total visual isolation versus prized communal eating

The ritual surrounding the ortolan highlights a profound cultural contradiction within dining customs. In many established food traditions, the sharing of food and the open visibility of enjoyment are highly valued communal aspects. Conversely, the ultimate expression of pleasure derived from eating the ortolan necessitates complete visual isolation; the diner must actively shut out their surroundings under the shroud of linen. This dynamic underscores the secretiveness surrounding the dish—it suggests that the enjoyment derived is so intense, or perhaps so guilty due to its taboo nature, that it must be completely hidden from the community it is ostensibly shared with.