Food Memories

Isn't it interesting how a bite of food can spark a memory? Just like a song often transports us to a particular moment or period in our lives, so can food.

I have a great aunt and uncle who we tease because for every great moment or event in their lives, they remember with astonishing detail the meal that they consumed with it. And generally, the portrayal of the meal far outweighed the retelling of the actual event. One of their stories would go something like this:

"When our cousin Joe married that hussy he met while performing in the circus back in '68, they served the best fried chicken and mashed potatoes I've had to THIS day."

"Yes, and the cabbage slaw! Remember the slaw? They didn't use mayonnaise like your mother did, and she knew how to make a good slaw. They used the derndest thing...what was it now?" "Well I'll be damned if it wasn't some good slaw, whatever they put in it."

"And remember the cornbread? Woo-eeee, the cornbread!..." And so it would go, through each item on the table, with rising fervor as they recounted not only the taste and ingredients, but also the consistency and the after-effects. It is a remarkable experience, to hear them tell a story. One would think that the hussy from the circus would be the highlight, but oh no. Not according to Uncle Quinton and Aunt Lil.

I was eating Easy Mac for lunch today, and it made me think of a friend and ex-coworker. We ate Easy Mac regularly for lunch, in our yucky office where the "kitchen" (which was a microwave, a hot pot, and a dorm fridge) was in the supply closet. We always got a good laugh out of the packaging instructions. On the uncooked pasta packet: "Open this packet first." And on the powered cheese packet: "Open this packet second." And, in true American style, there was the suggestion that you should eat not one, but two servings of Easy Mac. "REALLY REALLY HUNGRY? Use two packets!!!" Which we did, sometimes.

Even the suggestion of food can trigger a memory. For instance, if someone says to me: "Do you like hot dogs?" I am automatically sitting in an uncomfortable plastic seat in General Admission, hearing crowd noise and watching a baseball game drag on below me. I've of course eaten hot dogs many other places besides a ball game, but that's the memory and experience attached to that particular food.

And how about Jello? I can't eat Jello. Not even my 87 year old Aunt Marj's token Jello Salad that I'm not entirely convinced doesn't have vodka in it. This is because of the places that Jello takes me. I associate it with hospitals, nursing homes, sickness, and the inability to feed myself. I once hoped that the Jello shots I inhaled in college would rewire my brain on it's reaction to the food, but no such luck. Jello remains taboo.

Pot pies. This food is strongly associated to my childhood, and I cannot eat it to this day. Not because I dislike the taste. It's the memory of watching my parents prepare for an evening out, which meant a baby-sitter for me. Pot pie was the standard "going out" meal that I got when my parents had a date. It was quick, easy, and often slightly burned because, busy putting on her makeup, my mom would forget to take it out of the oven. I don't remember disliking my baby-sitter (nickname: Tater, short for Couch Potato), but I just didn't want to miss out on any fun that might parents might have without me. So I began to dread pot pies, and even now as an adult, I can't eat them or serve them to my son.

I would guess that most of us have at least a few vivid food memories. I would like to know what is actually happening physically when food triggers a memory. I wonder how the taste buds are connected to the part of the brain where memories are stored? I wonder if Alzheimer's patients can get glimpses of memories they've lost by eating a certain food? Hmmmm...inquiring mind wants to know!