Few things can stir the heart and senses quite like the flavor and smell of a beloved dish from the past. A bowl of homemade soup, a freshly baked pie, a simple meal prepared with love; food has an incredible power — to take us back in time. But what is it that we miss so much about grandma’s cooking? The answer has to do with the complex bond between food, memory and emotion, a connection science is still exploring.
Why We Find Comfort in Nostalgic Foods
Nostalgia can be one of the most beautiful feelings to experience, allowing us to bridge the gap between our past and present selves and generating feelings of warmth and coziness. Studies show that nostalgias often include sensory memories — especially taste and smell. The explanation for that is that the olfactory bulb, the part of the brain that processes scents, is connected directly to the brain’s limbic system, which controls emotions and memories.
When we eat food that evokes our childhood, we don’t merely remember tastes — we experience memories of safety and love and togetherness. A steaming plate of homemade lasagna might recall Sunday dinners with the family, and the smell of freshly baked cookies can take us back to afternoons in grandma’s kitchen. “She was very much about feeding people — feeding their souls as well, feeding nostalgia, feeding all those elements,” said foodie and author Charlotte Druckman (with Pamela Shank, ‘When Soup Is a Meal’).
Why Do We Crave Comfort Foods?
Comfort foods, which are often associated with nostalgic eating, offer not just emotional contentment but also exert real influences on our brain chemistry. Eating foods tied to positive memories has been known to release dopamine, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter in the brain, research has shown. That chemical reaction helps explain why we gravitate toward these foods, and return to them during times of stress or uncertainty.
In addition, according to studies, comfort foods are often packed with fats and carbohydrates which can lead to spikes in serotonin levels, which explains how a lot of junk food makes us feel better! That helps explain why a warm bowl of mac and cheese or a serving of mashed potatoes might feel like an emotional hug on bad days.
Old is New-ish: The Trends of Nostalgic Foods
Food trends based on reminiscence have come back into fashion in recent years, prompting mass-minded restaurants and food brands to leverage the influence of sentiment-based flavors. Whether that’s the comeback of diner-style dishes or a revival of home-cooked meals from childhood, diners are turning to the comforts of nostalgia for a taste of normalcy in tumultuous times. That has carried over into packaged goods too, as brands have revived retro recipes and vintage packaging to capitalize on consumers’ nostalgia for the past.
Curiously enough, the digital age has been part of the reason behind this phenomenon. Whether through online communities sharing traditional family recipes, food blogs wistfully remembering childhood dishes or even virtual recreations of classic dining experiences, there’s been an enormous interest in nostalgic food. And, like folks gathering around the table to tell stories of their favorite dishes, people also congregate in digital spaces sharing news about and their passion for traditional techniques of cooking. Platforms that offer interactive experiences like e bingo are known to bring back good memories and help to rekindle the power of nostalgia by allowing people to engage with old pastimes.
Wrapping Up
The yearning for grandma’s cooking is not merely a matter of flavor; it concerns the complex emotional and psychological cues we draw from food. Nostalgic eating is firmly grounded in neuroscience — our brains’ memory and reward systems — and food can become a potent vessel for reliving treasured times. They are yet another nod to the food trends that continue to find traction as they evoke the joy that can be drawn from simplicity and tradition. Whether it’s a family recipe handed down from generation to generation, or a childhood snack that brings back fond memories, the foods we love most are the ones that tie us to our past, our families, and even ourselves.
