Why do Jews love eating so much?

The Vilna Gaon says that the difference between a Jew and a non-jew is in his nefesh habehemi. The Jew has the ability to take the physical world and elevate it into a spiritual thing. When a Jew eats on Shabbos and Yomtov it can become a holy thing, if done right. The Jewish Soul longs for Kedushah, and the holiness of eating in a spiritual way.

Adapted from a Shiur by Rebbetzin Heller