Have you ever taken a bite of a familiar dish and found yourself instantly transported back in time, reliving cherished moments from your childhood? What is it about certain foods that have the power to evoke such powerful memories?
“French novelist Marcel Proust, in his novel Remembrance of Things Past (also known as In Search of Lost Time), described how his childhood memories started to flow when he tasted a madeleine cake dipped in linden tea, as he had been given as a child,” Dr Reinhard said.
In today’s fast-paced world, where time seems to slip through our fingers like grains of sand, revisiting the places and moments that shaped us in our childhood is only sometimes feasible.
But, as I discovered recently, there’s a way to embark on a nostalgic journey without leaving the comfort of your kitchen.
Returning to your once-upon-a-time home is not always possible, but one way to do that is through your sense of taste.
My food memories
I have a habit of browsing through my mom’s recipe books every Friday evening with the sole purpose of making one of our family’s favorite dishes on the weekend.
My son and his wife visit us every weekend, and we all enjoy a family lunch together.
While browsing my mom’s recipe, I found one dish I loved and was one of my favourite during childhood. I had not eaten this dish for the last almost a decade.
The dish is called Handvo. Handvo is a very popular Gujarati snack. It is naturally gluten-free and vegan and filled with the goodness of fresh vegetables.
Handvo is a dish made of lentils, where a batter made from lentils and rice is fermented overnight in curds, mixed with grated vegetables, and then baked in an oven.
During my childhood and growing up years, my family and I lived in Kutch, Gujarat. I have fond memories of my mom preparing Handvo every weekend.
Recreating a childhood favourite dish — Handvo — unlocked a floodgate of memories and emotions. As the aroma of the lentil cake filled my home, I was transported back to lazy weekends in Kutch, where my mother’s culinary prowess transformed ordinary ingredients into moments of pure joy.
It was a homecoming for me and triggered nostalgic memories.
The power of taste and smell.
The connection between food and memory is strong. A childhood favourite food can evoke strong emotions and bring back cherished memories.
It is said that when we eat, our brain processes not only the taste and smell of the food but also the context and emotions associated with the experience.
Research suggests that the sense of smell is closely linked to memory because the olfactory system is connected to the limbic system, which is responsible for emotion and memory.
The experience served as a poignant reminder of the profound connection between food and memory, a sentiment echoed by Marcel Proust’s famous Madeleine moment.
Just as the taste of a single bite can awaken long-dormant memories, it also has the power to nourish our souls and bridge the gap between past and present.
As we navigate the complexities of modern life, let us not overlook the treasures hidden within our kitchen cabinets and recipe books.
For within those pages lie the keys to unlocking a treasure trove of memories, each dish serving as a portal to our childhood selves.
So, the next time you find yourself yearning for a taste of home, don’t hesitate to dust off those old recipe books and embark on a culinary journey down memory lane.
After all, in the kitchen of life, every dish is a story waiting to be told, and every bite is a step closer to finding our way back home.”
Wrapping Up
Through the lens of a nostalgic encounter with a childhood favourite dish, Handvo, it reminds me how certain foods can transport us back to cherished moments from our past.
Drawing parallels to Marcel Proust’s famous madeleine moment, the narrative highlights the emotional resonance of food and its role in preserving family traditions and cultural heritage.
Overall there is an important role that food plays in our lives beyond just nourishment.
Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Professor Emerita of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, in an article for the BBC, writes, “Food memories involve very basic, nonverbal, areas of the brain that can bypass your conscious awareness,”. “This is why you can have strong emotional reactions when you eat a food that arouses those deep unconscious memories.
Food nostalgia refers to the intense emotion that can transport us to the past, connecting us with people and places we hold dear.
Memories of a specific dish, food or flavor can evoke powerful feelings of comfort and security, often bringing up happy memories of times spent with friends and family.
Can you recall your favorite childhood dish that brings back happy memories from the past?