By Kyla Woodard, kyla@claytodayonline.com
“Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate.” – Alan D. Wolfelt
I found myself waiting in line early Tuesday morning to try Chick Fil A’s new chicken and waffles breakfast sandwich.
The limited menu item was released on Aug. 24, and I have to say, it was actually pretty tasty. And the smell of maple-flavored waffles, honey butter and warm syrup, specifically, was wholesome. In fact, it brought me back to the early mornings and sticky breakfast tables from when I was a child.
Food has a weird way of reminding us of the past. And “food nostalgia,” as it’s called, is actually a real thing.
Here’s a little science lesson: According to ExpatEat, your sense of smell is directly linked to the brain’s memory and emotion centers. Scent molecules are always traveling through your nose to the “olfactory bulb” at the front of the brain. And essentially, that’s what triggers amygdala and hippocampus, or your emotions and memory.
In simpler terms, the aromas we smell when we eat travel through the nose and straight to the brain, triggering a sensory overload.
Experts say that many of our most prominent food memories are formed during childhood, a time when the brain is highly receptive to sensory experiences. I guess you could say that was very true for me.
Like slurping frozen popsicles on a hot afternoon and my first time perfecting my grilled cheese recipe.
I swapped houses every Sunday for family dinners and ate funnel cakes and cotton candy at the Clay County Fair, knowing for a fact it didn’t pair well with getting on the Zipper right after.
Sharing oversized turkey legs at Disney with my family reminds me of why it’s the most magical place on earth. Cake symbolizes the times I bonded with my mom while she baked in our family’s kitchen — taste testing the batter and frosting even when I wasn’t supposed to.
And I can’t forget about school lunches — the good ole’ tradition of dipping my chicken nuggets in my mashed potatoes and getting excited over Italian Dunkers.
While food nurtures the soul, I think it’s safe to say that it also significantly tastes better when it reminds you of the past. All of those memories helped shape me into who I am today. And they continue to do so.
Think about the last thing you ate and the memories associated with it. While it could be the simplest meal, when paired with emotions and memories it could also mean so much more.