Cooking from Memory

My husband is particularly fond of anything I cook which contains salted fish. Indeed, many will profess that food memories are powerful links to parts of our lives. In my husband's case, salt fish reminds him of wonderful childhood memories with his grandparents. They were Hakkas by descent and they lived in a seaside town for many years, running a small eatery.

2. His grandmother was a fantastic cook and the eatery was always full during weekends and holidays. "People came from far and wide just to enjoy the food. Everyone was so friendly and there was always lots of laughter," recalled my husband.

3. Fifty years has passed since then. His grandparents have passed away and we have moved to another country. Yet, the food memories seem to bring him back ‘home' again and again.

4. I looked up the medical definition of memory, which is as follows:

   1. The ability to recover information about past events or knowledge.
   2. The process of recovering information about past events or knowledge.
   3. Cognitive reconstruction or reshuffling process to extract what is general and what is particular about each passing moment.

5. Psychologists say that holding onto our good memories and leaving the bad ones behind helps us to deal with unpleasant situations and retain a positive outlook on life. Susan Whitborne, professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University of Massachusetts explained the significance of food memories. "Food memories are more sensory than other memories in that they involve really all five senses, so when you're that thoroughly engaged with the stimulus it has a more powerful effect," she said.

6. Taste memories tend to be the strongest of associative memories that you can make. You are not just using your sight, or just your taste, but all the senses and that offers the potential to layer the richness of a food memory. So, if you ever feel down or need some comfort, seek out your food memories.